By Esther Lawrence '22
Recently I’ve been thinking about a visit to my grandmother’s house last January. Still living in the home in which my father and his siblings grew up, her house is a time capsule of sorts, containing over six decades of memories. During that visit, she lead me through the rooms, pointing at photographs on the shelves and sharing stories.
As my grandmother spoke, I understood for the first time the love she had known in her life. I could see, in witnessing her meditation on her life and family, that her laughter was genuine and her joy was true.
This year, it is easy to feel that the most exciting, most pivotal parts of life have been stripped from me. At my most dramatic, I lament to friends about how COVID-19 is consuming our youth, and therefore our time to make lifelong memories. Recalling that January day at my grandmother’s house, though, I realize that the relationships which remain in our lives during the pandemic are more than enough for a joyful, meaningful life.
In 1 Corinthians 13:2, Paul writes, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." Thinking about my grandmother, I believe the opposite of this hypothetical is also true. If I lose everything due to the pandemic but still have love, I have not lost anything. While not intended to diminish the hardships we have faced this year, remembering that we can still give and receive love, and still have the love of God, gives me a sense of peace.
Esther Lawrence is a junior and is originally from Columbus, Ohio. She lives in Currier House and studies Economics and History. Esther is a member of the Harvard Women's Swim and Dive Team and is currently living on campus.
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