“To everything there is a season…” I’m thinking about that wisdom on this Monday morning of the second day of fall.

We just wrapped another round of “Luxury Gets Personal” conversations amongst a panel of American women (all ages) across the country that explores their frame of mind during the Covid crisis.

One of the questions we asked was, “How would you define the chapters of Covid as they have unfolded in your life the past six months?”

Across the board, women are reporting that after the initial fear of early Covid, then the embracing of the gift of time and family during lockdown (still anxious but finding silver linings), they are in a more somber mood now. It’s a state of grim acceptance, less tangible anxiety.

“At the beginning there was music playing, dancing, lots of drinking, and lots of baking. I had a lot more energy in March, April and May and did lots of little projects from clean up closets, to tie-dye with the kids, to cleaning my shingles on my house! Into June it lost its luster. The jokes slowed down and the isolation set in.”

“In this chapter, the threat has been around long enough to be somewhat normalized – I no longer feel like I’m playing Russian roulette every time I go to the grocery store.  I now venture out to shop for non-essentials, to have my hair colored, brows waxed etc.  When I can bear the heat, I’ll meet up with friends at restaurants (ALWAYS outside seating during off peak hours).  The mandatory mask rules (finally) in effect have helped bolster a sense of safety.”

“I feel like there are 2 “chapters” so far… now we are in a third of acceptance and balancing… I do feel as though we are all on a ship and there is no captain who we can trust with real information and proper navigational skills so to speak … there are guidelines which I am grateful for – I think – but I feel aimless, not sure what to do, how to do it and where I want to go?”

It is easy for me to sink into what I call “Covid Blur”, a fuzzy state of overwhelm, given all the painful elements 2020 has wrought. Life is full of so many odd and numbing rituals now, from grabbing a mask before going out, to tracking the daily march of the virus, to the awkward lack of being able to greet and say goodbye properly to friends and family when and if you can see them.

Talking to people through the periscope of LookLook® and being inspired by others’ bravery has definitely helped me clear the Covid Blur. It has also definitely helped me feel less alone, realizing that every single person on this earth is dealing with this challenge on some level.

Also, despite the blurriness, people seem to be having very cool glimpses of clarity (2020 vision?) about what is important in their lives. The earth getting healthier. Families connecting. The potential end of the 9-5 grind in a soulless office and re-invention of what “work” means to them. A chance to see beyond the wreckage and do something creative.

Our motto for LookLook® is “When We Look, We See”. One woman in the study described America as “a homeless person in a Gucci belt”. I guess that is one way to look at it. But thank God we all have the freedom to focus where we want, on what we want. Nothing can take that power away.

May you enjoy a crisp fall season of inspiring clarity!