Now more than ever, we need love.
As the hours blend into days and the days blend into weeks, there is a certain level of anxiety that arises with the uncertainty of this ongoing passage of time in quarantine. We are all looking for new ways to distract, decompress and destress everything that is happening in real time.
The New York Times has paired up with Boston’s NPR station, WBUR, to produce a podcast version of their highly popular, and quite lovely column, “Modern Love.” Yes, this is the same column that influenced Amazon Prime’s eight episode series, “Modern Love.”
Now this isn’t a newly quarantine-produced show nor is it particularly life-changing at first glance. In fact, it was introduced back in 2016 and has produced almost 200 episodes to date. However, I find that now more than ever, the ease of each episode in the show proves to be the perfect antidote for the anxiety-ridden days we are faced with each morning.
The show is hosted by Meghna Chakrabati of WBUR and Modern Love editor Daniel Jones from the New York Times. The podcast features guest storytellers, ranging anywhere from Alicia Keys, to Tan France ("Queer Eye") to Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”).
These storytellers recount love stories, not of their own accord, but from people all over the world. Normal people like you and I. However, they bring love stories in every size, shape and form possible. There is the love of father to daughter, first love, love after loss, friend love, the list goes on.
There is something so mundane yet magical about these stories that will damn near make you tear up as each 20-ish minute episode comes to a close. They are the stories of life and love that make you feel closer to humanity.
Recently, they have released two podcasts under the title, “Your Stories of Love During the Pandemic,” which present short voice memos sent in from people around the world detailing, well, their stories of love … during the pandemic. They are lovely and painful and endearing, and make you feel less alone in this painfully isolated journey.
This podcast provides a much needed break from the constant COVID-19 news reel and gives us a little extra TLC. Like I said, now more than ever, we all need a little (Modern) Love.
You can hear the first episode of “Your Stories of Love During the Pandemic,” here: https://www.wbur.org/modernlove/2020/04/01/love-stories-coronavirus.
