Communing with nature and Thoreau-like isolation

When my husband Baheej and I lived in Massachusetts, we used to go swimming in Walden Pond. It is the real Walden Pond immortalized in Henry David Thoreau's writing about communing with nature.

Thoreau went to live in isolation on Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. He lived alone, self sufficient; there he was inspired by nature.

Now it's a park, open to the public. In the 1980s, Baheej and I swam around the lake. We taught our youngest son to improve his swimming there, and spent many a happy day enjoying Thoreau's nature. We saw the remains of Thoreau's cabin (just a few rocks) and walked the nearby paths.

Good memories help in grief. We had our son practice diving off the dock in Walden Pond. There is a small public beach some distance across the lake from Thoreau's cabin. We usually had a picnic. We shared many good times there.

Well, we are in a fairly isolated situation these days. Not as isolated as Thoreau was, and not self-imposed, but rather imposed by the coronavirus. This is going to be a strange summer. We've already had a strange Fourth of July.

As I come to grips that this will be a long-term situation, I am starting to wonder. How shall we to do this?

So far, a big part of how I manage and cope with long-term grief (before coronavirus) was through visits with friends, social activities, my exercise class, lunches and dinners out. I enjoy home-cooked dinner parties, coffee shops, local festivals, farmers markets, estate sales and other interesting activities, either by myself or with friends. Virtually none of that will happen this summer.

So now, here we are. For me, probably no "girls night out" for a long time, no traveling (at least none by airlines), no getting together with a groups of friends (except one or two at a time on the front porch). I miss my exercise class friends.

So, basically, I'm turning to nature: my yard, my neighborhood, my patio, my flowers. This is actually a big help. I am also relying on telephone, iPad, email, books and music. I look out the front window at Baheej's favorite silver maple in the front yard.

I planted even more patio pots than usual. The patio looks real pretty and colorful. I've expanded into vegetables in addition to flowers and herbs. Rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, dill, parsley, tarragon. So I planted green beans, zucchini, and summer squash - plus tomatoes, which I always do. I have gotten some pretty zucchini. I spiralize them. Tasty.

Thoreau also wrote a lesser-known book, a long essay really, called "Walking," in which he described his very long walks and what he saw along the way. My big take-away from that is, as he said, a person who is walking and observing the surroundings sees so many lovely, living plants and animals. This is so true. Certainly more than when driving by.

I take walks around my own yard every day because I enjoy all the little changes and new growth. I have lots of perennials so there is always something new to discover.

And I've had more time to read, which I enjoy. All sorts of reading. My kitties have been the beneficiary of some extra casual "cat reading." I saw an article on how indoor cats should have different, special, fun activities each day. Yesterday was their "purple bunny" day. It's a little plush, lightweight bunny they love to toss around and chase. I combine it with a funny, fuzzy, wormlike toy they also enjoy. Today is their build-a-fort day, where they can hide from the thunder and lightning, which is happening today.

The point is: Thoreau was right. Nature and your immediate surroundings are healing, invigorating and worthy of our attention.

We do need time to be peaceful and think. So instead of Thoreau's "Walden," I am doing an "At home in Sleepy Hollow" journal. I don't expect to write a famous memoir but I am writing down impressions about this experience of "quarantine."

Writing in a journal is just for myself. It's fun to reflect on this strange year, that's getting stranger. I am personally bracing for the long run; that is, being home alone for a long time. I'm getting ready for new activities and behaviors, and life that will not go back exactly as it was before. I'm very glad to have my sweet kitty cats.

• Susan Anderson-Khleif of Sleepy Hollow has a doctorate in family sociology from Harvard, taught at Wellesley College and is a retired Motorola executive. Contact her at sakhleif@comcast.net or see her blog longtermgrief.tumblr.com. See previous columns at www.dailyherald.com/topics/Anderson-Kleif-Susan.