When we find happiness again

Tonight before falling asleep
think about when we will return to the street.
When we hug again, 
Let's think about when the coffees will return to the bar,
the small talk, the photos close to each other.
We think about when it will be all a memory
but normalcy will seem an unexpected and beautiful gift.
We will love everything that has so far seemed futile to us.
Every second will be precious.
Swims at the sea, the sun until late,
sunsets, toasts, laughter.
We will go back to laughing together.
Strength and courage.
See you soon! 

The above words are from Papa Francesco. He has tackled so many things during his papacy and now a global pandemic. It brings me comfort to hear his prayers and to see him processing in the streets of Rome, even if they’re empty, and visiting two churches with relics that helped to cure the plague in Rome. One church he visited, on Via del Corso, holds the crucifix that was carried through the streets of Rome to end the plague in the 1500’s. 

Inspired by these words from Pope Francis, I started thinking about all the moments, everyday and otherwise, that I can’t wait to return to and will never ever take for granted again…pieces of a past life that already feels foreign but will help us shape the new one we will begin so soon. In this surreal and uncertain time, I only want to continue hoping for the future and all the beautiful moments that will happen. By filling my imagination with them now, I know they will come true. I just keep thinking, WE WILL FIND THAT HAPPINESS AGAIN. All of these good moments will return, and the world will be filled with joy and we will all be more grateful than we EVER have before, for everything. Every small freedom afforded to us and every daily habit or ritual we had to take a break from will feel like a celebration. Life is precious and will be even more precious when all of this is over and we return to a different normal life. Stay positive and hopeful for this future, and compile your own list of moments to return to. Share them with me in the comments below or on Instagram, @theartfuleveryday.

Moments I want to return to!!! Where we will find that happiness again…

Dancing at the English bar in Sorrento
Shouting the lyrics to my favorite song at the club my friends and I went to 
almost every weekend in Roma
Meeting strangers and getting to know them a little
Drinking a negroni sbagliato at Caffe della Scala 
in Trastevere, watching the people go by while I wait for a friend
Journaling in the small piazza off Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 
watching families eat lunch together under the umbrellas of the restaurants
Taking photos with my friend at the Trevi Fountain at 8:00 am 
to avoid the crowds
Horseback riding through olive groves in Tuscany, 
the place I first fell in love with Italy
Christmas shopping by wandering through Rome and 
stopping for espresso every few hours
Boat rides at the lake house with my family, a new book 
(and maybe a gin & tonic) in hand 
The end of a beach vacation when my skin is brown and freckly 
and the warmth of the sun will stay with me for weeks after 
Sitting in a pub in London after being caught in a cold November rain, 
catching up with my cousin and eating a 
healthy serving of fish & chips, in awe of a new city I had just started to discover
Staying out until morning with special friends on the Lower East Side 
of New York, having important conversations about life in 
Welcome to the Johnson’s after two bottles of wine at Supper NYC
First dates in a foreign language
Taking an espresso at the bar and listening to the 
never ending chatter
Getting dressed up for a night out, putting my black studded booties on 
and walking through Trastevere to meet my friends in the piazza, 
where we’d split a bottle of wine and the 
conversation would switch back and forth from English to Italian, 
and we’d playfully slap and hug each other before 
eventually running to the club to dance the rest of the night
Eating a four euro panino at La Officina with a small glass 
of Tuscan wine (1.50 euro) I had poured for myself
Nights with the full moon glowing over Rome, strolling hand in hand and
filled with hope
Family Christmas where there's so many aunts and uncles and
cousins it's overwhelming
Birthday candles and smiling so much my face hurts
An aperitivo with friends, time to breathe after a busy day, over an
Aperol Spritz and chips
Art galleries and inspiration from the past
New beginnings 

Stay healthy and stay safe. xx