This weekend we had the joy of being with family and attending a bridal shower for one of my cousins. While that in and of itself is not unusual, the bride being feted was actually married in August 2020, with only parents, siblings, clergy in attendance. The rest of us took part via Zoom. It was the odd experience we all had during the worst of COVID, we were certainly attending the wedding but we were watching it like a film, engaged but removed.

It’s just one of the strange things that these last two plus years have brought us. Like you, I was incredibly grateful that virtual platforms made so much possible. We visited with distant kids, we attended family events which included not only the aforementioned wedding but also two baby namings and a baby shower. We learned how to make it work and we did make it work.

Yet when we are together, as we like to say “in real life,” we realize that seeing each other through a screen is not enough. It is also not the same. The relaxed interactions, the casual conversations just don’t exist the same way. The fullness of the relationship is lost. And that is not to mention the tremendous difference between blowing a kiss to a screen and putting your arms around someone is a sincere hug. We don’t just crave that contact, we need it.

As human beings, we are multi-dimensional creatures with complex emotional needs. A screen, no matter how great it is to see and talk with one another, is just not enough.

There are a lot of ways to think about the last two years and the impact they have had. Most, if not all, of us have losses to mourn—of people, of health, of our sense of security. There is no question that we will carry the scars of this experience with us long into the future.

We are slowly and cautiously climbing out of our dark caves and into the light. We are breaking through the walls of our cocoons and moving towards one another. We are remembering why it is so vital for us to be together and reveling in that togetherness. Time to put aside our fears and reunite with the world. Time to regain our lives and move forward, leading the way with our full hearts.