Lora’s St. Patrick’s Day dinner triggers a special bittersweet memory for me, remembering the one when we realized just how big an impact COVID was about to make on our lives. It brings to mind the movie Casa Blanca.

I remember that some of us felt kind of guilty even gathering together. (Would this be a super-spreader??, we wondered). Some couldn’t come to the party, because they were madly packing to leave on the next possible flight out.

Some had already left early, putting a big dent in their holiday, and their budget.

I remember who I was seated with, our little green hats, and the delicious dinner that Lora prepared.

We all said goodbye, with the usual nostalgia that everyone feels at the end of the season, but also knowing that this year was very different.