I used to eschew chores that were never over and done. Recycled tediousness, like making the bed. Washing dishes, doing laundry. A need for meticulousness that was never seen. Necessary to health certainly, yet – in the absurd year of COVID that 2020 has been – the constancy has been balm.

Something that has been stable and predictable. Something to do that didn’t require invention, forethought, or craft. Something to do daily to pass the time.

To feel safe and maintain sanity. Sameness craved when previously my husband and I had craved novelty.

Exercise, meal prep, and reading of news. Facebook, FaceTime, and Zoom events added to the constancy. Routines cherished as passable replacements for the human contact we all craved. Laptop, desktop, or phone – wifi contact-mediated quarantine routinely.

Throughout all the days and nights there were two constancies to balance our seemingly unendurable COVID-times: my husband are our shared love of rock music. Here’s a ‘blast from the past’ blog post which tells much about us: https://www.pjcolando.com/objective-and-ac…rious-and-daring/

A holiday is upon us: Thanksgiving. We’ll share the meal with friends and family who live nearby. Socially-distanced yet convivial because we trust each other with our lives. This 2020 feast will be like no other in our lifetimes. Dearness and nearness will be cherished in real time. We will truly be counting our blessing because… we are alive. We will pray to a shared God.

Divisive politics will be past while the food is passed. We will be able to converse without arguing and savoring the good tastes of constancy: roasted turkey, stuffing/dressing, cranberries, and the ubiquitous green bean casserole. Pumpkin pie, apple pie with cinnamon crumble on top. Some people like pie a la mode and some people don’t and there will be nothing to quibble about.

We are thankful for the constancy of routines and habits and the longevity of friends. We’ll all newly cherish the constancy of peace.