The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Is this our new normal? Should I just plan on homeschooling Dorothy next year, let my band keep postponing dates, and counsel my sister in postponing her September wedding since Iowa isn't set to peak until August now? I sure hope not.

I'm perfectly OK with us learning some major life lessons here. Like how important physical touch and quality time are. How to never let a hello, good morning, hug of love or embrace of kindness go by; how a visit to loved ones is worth every precious second and how social interaction can surely never be taken for granted; that life needs to be lived and sometimes taking the simpler path is the best way to do that wholesomely. Or how working hard and giving back is what matters, especially during hard times; or how supporting local is what we need to do every day, not just during a pandemic. Life is fleeting and we need to live, give, love and embrace it – figuratively and literally – while we still can.

Yes, let's learn these life lessons and come out of this as better people, better parents, better rural supporters and better neighbors. I'm all for that.

I enjoy geocaching with my children, having weekly picnics in random spots, going fishing for meals, picking rock in the fields and then picking weeds in my garden, playing volleyball and badminton into the night as a family, movie nights and stargazing. Give me that all day, every day. That's fine with me.

Give me sunsets on picnic chairs in my grandparents' lawn laughing and telling stories, the kids running around finding baby bunnies and listening to birds with their great-grandparents. Give me bike rides and sunrise jogs, nature hikes and satellite searches. Give me lake house boats rides, farmers markets and an occasional meal at a restaurant.

Iesha Toft and her four children as they search an Okoboji beach for treasures.

But please, dear Lord above, keep those we love healthy and safe. I desperately ache to hug my grandparents during each visit; a soulful ache that has reduced me to tears in numerous post-visit conversations with my husband. I've always known I'm a hugger and that I love them with my entire heart, but I had no idea how hard this aspect of COVID-distancing would be. It is brutal and I just pray that I can keep my eyes and chin up, knowing that this too shall pass and we will embrace again soon.

I pray you, we, all of us stay vigilant in the task of staying positive while focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel. This will surely cease and we will be held and hold those we love ever so dearly once again. It gets hard – insanely hard. But, dear friends, when the ache cuts deep, look up and know He has us and will lead us out of this storm.

Thank goodness for that.

Sentinel-News contributor Iesha Toft lives in Royal.