FAUST: Current State of Limbo Won't be 'New Normal'

We've gone a full month without hockey, without sports.

Not having a game to attend or watch on TV seems trivial given the state of our world, given how so many have been afflicted by this cruel disease, how many brave men and women in healthcare are risking their lives every day.

Then, there are stock clerks, cashiers, couriers, cleaners, cooks, restaurant owners, police officers and firefighters who don't have the luxury of being safer at home.

"Surreal" was a word used at the start of this existence. "Hollow" might describe how many of us feel without the usual comforts of our usual lives. But "normal" will never enter my vocabulary, not as long as this state of limbo remains.

It's part of the human condition to want to be around others. So instead of sulking, I'm cherishing every day thinking about how much sweeter it will be when we can gather en masse to watch our favorite teams. Only then will life be back to "normal."

Yes, I have friends who aren't sports fans, we all do. But I also think of people with no sports affiliation swept up in the joy of a Stanley Cup parade at LA Live or in the South Bay.

I think about the joy those moments brought to people who weren't hockey fans. I think of a city lifted up by the accomplishments of a single team.

I challenge anyone to deny the sense of pride sports can bring.

So when the day comes to play again, we won't do it with a burden of guilt, or with fear of the unknown.

We'll overcome it in the only way we know how: resuming a full-contact sport, contested with blood and sweat, while we scream at the top our lungs alongside friends and strangers, cheering on every second.

Maybe it'll happen in empty arenas at first, but that won't be for long.

And when the day arrives to gather at a packed Staples Center, just before the game, instead of a moment of silence, let's make the moment a standing ovation to celebrate our collective spirit. For by then, we will have prevailed in the ultimate team triumph.

Above all, know this: we will play again. It may not happen for some time. And it will not come without sacrifice.

But the revival will be sweet. So sweet.