today, I am thankful.

Just over two months ago, I left Paris to pass what would be a two-month-long confinement with my friend and her family at her mother-in-law's in Barbizon. I was escaping whatever the city was about to become. My thoughts and emotions were all over the place, but what I felt more than anything was thankful. Thankful for the kindness and generosity of my friend and her family, and for our friendship, which is new, but true and strong and without an expiration date.

This is a picture of the group of us - Lindsay (my friend), Thibaud (her husband), Minna (their daughter), Patricia ("Maman") and Pascale ("Tati") - on Easter, after eating a delicious meal and enjoying no less than our second bottle of wine, pre- the tradtional post-Sunday-brunch game of Uno. It was a truly wonderful day, and one of my many favorite memories of the times we shared together.

I've been back in Paris for 5 days now - and it's been weird. The city is the same but absolutely, completely different. The sun shines and the streets are filled with people going about their days and there are moments where you can feel pulse of the city starting - trying - to quicken again, but it just can't get there. And that gives you a feeling in your stomach that you instantly try to will away, which you do by thinking of the things you'll do when life is back to "normal," but then you're back at that uneasy feeling because you don't know when that will be. And then you say to say yourself - or maybe even aloud - that it will be, it's just a matter of when. And you continue about your masked walk feeling OK. Saying that my emotions have been up and down since returning to the city is an understatement, and I have somehow fallen off track with my daily practice of gratitude that I (mostly) stuck to during the confinement and that kept me relatively centered throughout. So today, gratitude has been my focus. And at the very, very top of my list (which, yes, is indeed an actual written-out list) is this family. My imbalance this first week of deconfinement is nothing compared to what it would have been as I would have gone into it with a mental state that I shudder to imagine. So, to my "famille de confinement" - Lindsay, T, Minna, Maman and Tati - I want you thank you, again, from the very depths of my heart; I truly cherish and so grateful for you all.