Our Return to the World
On not expecting the magical but finding it anyway
we pocket rusty dimes “funghi says take it slow”
my root beer float and your chocolate milkshake your mini skirt, half off, and my three women for $1.99
the cat named cat who has much to say climbs onto the green chair next to musty shoes to let us pet her even as she howls
i’ll wear the mermaid shoes and you’ll be nemo
we could spend our savings on that seven foot chicken suit and record 80s style aerobic videos for youtube, make all our money back and then some
or buy ginormous buttons a dollar a piece
“there is no ‘we’ in pizza” wisdom of the stickers and the shirts we dance in every store
and gather soup and tea and brown butter cookies for your best friend who is sick now too
and then we come home and you ask me not to leave off the couch you ask me to stay
a while longer
We didn’t mean to create a special day, but we happened upon it — it was one of our first days back into the world post-COVID. My daughter and I had nothing particularly special planned besides some dinner and shopping down at some of our favorite thrift shops on Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank. It was just another Friday afternoon.
That morning, though, I had read Trista Signe Ainsworth’s invitation to find the joy of a special celebration on an otherwise ordinary day. She asks, “How can you create a special day?” and offers ways that she does for herself and for her son. It’s a lovely reflection, as are all of Trista’s pieces.
I found her question ringing inside my mind as we ventured out that afternoon.
And then: there were funny, magical, weird, silly, wonderful happenings everywhere.
We laughed the whole afternoon —maybe it was simply the joy of feeling better, or of being together, or of being out in the world — regardless, it was lightness and joy.
At the end of the day, neither of us wanted it to end. It didn’t really — it still carries us forward.
I am grateful to Trista for the invitation — and I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate and capture some bits of memory of this simple day.
E. Katherine Kottaras holds an M.A. in English and an M.S. in Kinesiology with a focus on Integrative Wellness, and she is a contemplative writer and holistic teacher, having worked at the middle, high school, and community college levels for over two decades. She is a yoga teacher, personal trainer, and health coach while also living with invisible illnesses and neurodivergence, and as such, she is passionate about mindfulness, bodily self-determination, and health equity. As the queer daughter of an immigrant, Katherine believes that holistic and inclusive approaches to expression, healing, and growth should be accessible to all.
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