December 9/10 Advent Gratitude

Yesteday I worked most of the day on-line. In the afternoon I took a walk by the river, and spoke to a beloved friend who was just waking up in California. On the way back I stopped at the local corner Iranian grocer. They have been thriving – just like the supermarkets – as everyone turns to eating at home, and their vegetables have never been more lush and varied. I admired their herbs, watercress, spinach and raw olives: many different deep greens. I made bread. I ate with my family. Those were the highlights of the day and they were good ones.

But today something magical happened. I met a friend at a suburban outdoor heated pool. The sky was dark and grey, lightly misting. Blue fairy lights were strung across the water, and the trees were bare. In the water, my body felt free of gravity, dipping into a blue world, floating through the mist that hung on the surface. Afterwards we had tea. On the way home I listened to Sigur Ros as the sky went dark, thinking about Iceland and equality. Once my husband asked an Icelandic friend about who used the many heated public pools – what class? He was puzzled because the question didn’t arise: everyone was the answer.

To live in a place with a public pool that enables magic for the price of a coffee, I am truly grateful.