I just wanted to take a second to thank you, COVID-19…

Thank you for showing me who and what is truly important to me…thank you for long walks with my mom and long talks with old friends…

For demonstrating the practical need for strategic preparation, as well as for the clarification that there will never be a run on organic kale or Beyond Meat sausages.

Ever.

For giving me the time and impetus to examine how best to spend this moment of my life and with whom.

I’ve cleared the clutter from every closet in my condo too…

Thank you!

For giving me the space I always silently claimed to want and need to grieve and to heal.

And the time to write, paint, and to meditate (even if I still come up with excuses to avoid them).

For motivating people to innovate and demanding that we grow and create…

Do you think Patanjali could’ve ever imagined the type of access that the yoga practice now enjoys – albeit delivered via the internet?

Even Yoga Alliance has been made to acknowledge the legitimate teaching medium of the world wide web.

That’s because of you, COVID-19!

Thank you for bringing acute attention to all levels of government of the paramount importance of universal access to healthcare despite one’s ability to pay.

Maybe they’ll listen?

And, while we’re at it, I can’t thank you enough for making it so that I can finally carry-out a pitcher of margaritas from my favorite Mexican restaurant.

As an Outlaw, I appreciate that your presence has relaxed police activity, temporarily put a pause on plain sight searches, and all but eliminated DUI arrests and low level drug busts.

I so appreciate that you have made people more appreciative of each and every interaction with each other.

Thank you for three weeks off of work, and three months off of rent…even if the time after that is incredibly uncertain.

We’ll burn those bridges when we get to them.

I’m grateful for all the time to spend outdoors – though if I’m honest, I’m a little miffed at all the morons on “my” favorite trail…but then nothing comes without a cost does it?

Real resilience is never not hard fought.

Thanks for showing that, at least in Colorado, access to alcohol and marijuana is of critical importance – that the availability of both are at least as essential as access to dog food.

Thank you for the time I never knew I needed to get hooked on and binge watch my way all the way through The Walking Dead…what a great show that is, COVID-19! And not just because it – and many other likelier future scenarios – is and are much scarier than you.

And, of course, it almost goes without saying that without you in our lives a lot of us would be making a lot of bad decisions on Tinder right now…

Thank you, COVID-19, from the bottom of this Yogi’s grateful heart.