The title of this post feels a little dramatic, but then again, so does the past two weeks. While I was still checking in on the Australian wildfires, it seemed, I began to hear and connect with the fact that some new virus was spreading like crazy abroad. Watching the images come out of Wuhan and Italy has been nothing short of shocking. And then, suddenly, our plans went from, “Hey, we should maybe think about this,” to, “We have to do something about this right now.”
I’m working from home, which is an incredible luxury. B is a resident physician and had to go into the hospital for the first part of this week. Each day I disinfected our living spaces and door handles in the morning after he left. My house is definitely cleaner than its been since we moved in two and a half years ago. Luckily, he’s been working (furiously) from home trying to make sure patients have everything they need outside of an imminent infection and it has been humbling to see the most organized and systematic processes at his work have to be completely re-made and adapted for telehealth and virtual meetings at the forefront of care.
I’m sure that many will resonate with the fact that one of the hardest things about this time for me is the uncertainty. No one knows when the worst of this will be over. In China, only half of the cases have resolved in over a month, although it looks like containment might actually be working. We have no idea what events we may or may not be able to have in April, May, and beyond, and if it gets better over the summer (as some predict), whether it will return in the fall. My dad is immunocompromised and every day I am nervous I will wake up to hear he had to be hospitalized, or worse. My sister-in-law and brother are expecting their first baby and all plans to shower them have been completely cancelled, and my best friend’s early April wedding as well. It feels impossible.
My faith is the anchor of my hope, and it is being surely tested. Crafting helps. Putting together new routines helps. Making small lists of specific things I can accomplish each day helps. Dreaming of new projects and looking forward to creating new things really helps. My library’s virtual resources help. Family group chats help. Watching a comforting TV show helps. Going on a nature walk helps. Stretching helps. Praying helps.
Hold on to what is helping you in this season. Give yourself and those around you grace as things ram to a halt. Call in the order for that yarn that you’ve been wanting or buy yourself a gift card to your local craft store and favorite restaurant to treat yourself when the social distancing ends and you can celebrate life in a way that you didn’t before. Take this chance to clean out and un-busy your life and see the good in that. Look at the generosity of strangers and small businesses offering free resources for those who are home-bound and know that we are all in this together and that we will get through it one day at a time. I am trying to do this, and it is helping. Little by little, we’re moving forward.
