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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
In the past week my niece in IL revealed that 4 of her family of 5 have tested positive for covid-19. She posted this on Facebook. Their degree of symptomatology varied from mild through debilitating headache. They had not been happy @ being quarantined. Apparently this occurred after my 80 year old brother and wife had visited on their way home to the west coast. A daughter had shared food with a friend who was positive yet she failed to test positive. A result was a niece and nephew living in TN revealed they, too, had been previously diagnosed with Covid-19- apparently after a Halloween party. I’d questioned their party plans when my younger brother said they’d visited and were borrowing his flight suit for their Halloween party Top Gun costumes . When I expressed surprise that they would participate in a party my brother minimized the risk, saying it was only with their neighbors. Then my cousin in PA revealed that she and her husband had both been covid-19 positives; this revelation was also via the original FaceBook post by my niece…. I’m not surprised at this. Yes a rabid Truper who has railed against mask wearing, quarantine and physical distancing, vowing to hug whomever she wishes and attend church assemblies. She is a Christian Nationalist and believes the conspiracies Trump’s delusions broadcast. In each case the adult male seemed to have a more severe case than their wife -although it’s possible that women cope better with pain and under-report discomfort. A friend’s mother was transferred from her SNF to a hospital ICU. The mother had dementia and has been unable to encode why her daughter failed to visit her ( unable due to quarantine of nursing home). She died. My friend had reached out for support on Facebook and was appreciative of the prayers and concern expressed by others. It’s interesting that FaceBook can be so useful like this @ a time when we are forced to be separated and grief-stricken. In the past week my honey reports his married cousins both have been positive. in PA Dutch area . I’ve remained quarantined since 3/21/20 but he has not. His business is not one with a high degree of contact bothers and he shops when stores first open, limiting contact & shopping when stores should be cleanest. men seem to minimize the risk for contagion. Their seems to be some sense that the people we know wouldn’t have the virus … they also believe the Trump bs & minimization. Vaccination started this week (yesterday). Distribution and the funds for this haven’t seemed to have been funded as needed and the first vaccine needs special cold storage & two successive vaccinations. Meanwhile, we now have over 300,00 who’ve died. As I write this I’m getting a news flash that there is a new mutant strain of Covid-19 and it is spreading rapidly. I’ll be continuing to stay in & have food and supplies delivered. Guess I’ll book my post Labor Day shore cottage and think ahead longer term. When this first started (mid-March 2020) a friend asked me if our quarantine wouldn’t end in about 3 weeks. I’d said no, & estimated about 3 months... I hope it’s not 3 years.
December 16, 2020
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Can we find a way to unite our country? Only by our willingness may we succeed. Verifying election results finished! In our hearts let us be Americans. Democrats AND Republicans come together. COVID can spell solutions if we look closely at this blossom and read these words carefully.
December 16, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Happy Hanukkah ! NOTE:The photograph is on its side. The first try, upside down. I reversed the photograph on my phone but it was still upside down when uploaded. In any case, Chag Sameach ! The word “hanukkah” means “dedication” in Hebrew. We dedicate yhis sacred time each evening to praise God and express our gratitude for life. For decades we used a smaller, lovely menorah hand crafted in silver by annIsraeli artist. A few years ago, we discovered this ceramic menorah and ever since that day, we look forward to the upturned, expressive faces on this ceramic menorah. Some faces are in awe, others disrracted, a few serenely pleased in the reflected light that grows brighter each of eight nights. It is a quiet time post sunset as my husband listens while I chant the prayer “Baruch ata.....” followed by a shared kiss. In he candle light within the silent space, we pray for a release from this pandemic. The vaccine has arrived here in Connecticut. We pray for those families with grievous losses this year, some as thec result of Covid, others with losses less closely related to the virus but who suffer the social distancing imposed. We grieve online, on zoom, via emails, streaming yet our tears are real, they stream down our faces. The light reassures is there is hope. Our arms will wrap about our loved ones soon, the vaccine has arrived.
December 16, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
my experience wasn't alright it was new to me that I never though being in home all day and then seeing the samething. Therefore so everything to get boring but I got my own way to get what I needed to do.
December 17, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Last Friday was the second night of Chanukah and I'd invited my daughter and her boyfriend over a week or two earlier, before the post Thanksgiving surge took off. So I spent all week and all day agonizing and worrying if I'd made a mistake, if we needed to wear masks. My husband was really relaxed and said "don't worry" but my son was annoyed and worried. In the end we didn't wear masks and we had a really nice evening but I felt really guilty that we were mixing households when everyone kept saying not to. On the other hand, they are the only two people we allow in the house unmasked, we've been bubbling with them for weeks now, so probably it was okay. Anyway, I woke up Saturday SO stressed. I had that feeling like after you've had unprotected sex, where you've really enjoyed yourself but you know you're possibly going to pay for it a few weeks down the line. Anyway, it's five days later, no one has any symptoms, we're all avid maskers and hand washers and our state is so far, still at a decent (7%) positivity rate. There, see how I rationalized that? There's so much false logic in all of our thinking with this. It's so hard to live with something that in some ways is so far out of our control. God, I just can't wait for this to be over. Yesterday, Monday, December 14, was a really good day. The Electoral College did what it was supposed to and elected Joe Biden. And the vaccines started making their way into people's arms...It feels like the very beginning of the end--although everyone's saying the next few months are going to be awful. I just pray (in a secular way, that is) that my family and friends all stay safe.
December 17, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I don't know if this is covid related or not - but I just feel angry. I feel stuck. i feel like I can't do anything. London is back in Tier 3. Why we ever left - who knows. Why there was a push to be open for things for Christmas - also who knows? My mom was ok after quarantine - and now her school doesn't go back in person till mid-January, maybe. Which I am so happy about. My sister was then in quarantine. But will go back to school. Just really feeling down.
December 17, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
One positive thing that has come from this pandemic is that I rediscovered my love of reading. With little else to do it has been a great way to spend time and escape. It also is one of the things I can still do that doesn't require looking at a screen. I just hit my goal to read 14 books this year, which is more than I've read since middle school.
December 17, 2020
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During this pandemic, people are looking for guidance and support in different places. Talk about where you've been looking for support, and how helpful (or not helpful) these sources have been to you.
I'm glad for this question; until I wrote this and re-read it I didn't realize that I was actively seeking all these sources of support! At the beginning of the pandemic I was stranded overseas. A very kind person added me to a local whatsapp group so I wouldn't feel Isolated so far from home, and it truly was a lifesaver to have that connection to the outside world. It was made up of about twenty local women and it was like a virtual village--advice, jokes, photos, support--all of it. I then created my own group with some friends back home to help me feel connected to them and to focus on positive and humorous posts--and we've had some great laughs with all the fabulous satire and jokes that people have developed. So, Whatsapp groups have been a lifesaver. Zoom has also been a lifesaver. My family is dispersed from California to the east coast to Europe so getting together is challenging anyway, But with Zoom we meet about every six weeks for some holiday or someone's birthday...and that's kept us all connected. Same with my friends who are far more open to gathering on zoom or video chats. It's a really nice way to stay connected. Finally, I always look for things that are positive or innovative to help distract me or keep me from getting too sad or help bridge me across the next few weeks as I need to have something to keep me hopeful. For example, WXPN in Philly ran a poll of its listeners for the top 2020 songs of all times and are now playing them and counting them down--it's great fun listening to all these old songs from the 60s and 70s I have not heard in ages...(As a total aside Joan Armatrading just did a PSA for the station--i had NO idea she was British!). Of course there is also the late night comedy, which has been a total life saver. I wish I could take a bite of Trevor Noah. He is so smart and funny and adorable! I've also learned which friends to rely on at various times. For example, I have one friend who loves to kvetch so when I 'm down I call her and we bitch for hours. I have other friends who like to focus more on positive things so I call them when I'm looking to be happy. I rely really heavily on three papers--the Washington Post, the New York Times, and The Guardian for a range. Their reporting has been outstanding on the virus. I feel better when I am informed and I feel pretty well up to speed with these three papers. Finally, there is my family. My spouse has been very solid and supportive, giving me lots of back rubs when I am stressed. My grown kids (21 and 25) have also been very focused, attentive and emotionally present. My mother, with early dementia, is deteriorating quite a lot, and so I talk frequently with my older brother too, who lives in Boston, and that's been comforting. We've grown a lot closer over the year.
December 17, 2020
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How has the coronavirus pandemic affected how you feel about yourself, others, or the world?
I thing there are a lot of stupid people in the world. I will not mince words here. The things people say and do pertaining to this virus are outrageous. I also think many people are selfish. Taiwan has 25 million people and their covid cases are about two dozen. Why? there were strict rules that everyone abided by. Many Americans are just ignorant. Saying that the virus is a hox, or that they won't wear a mask because it impinges on their freedom, is just stupid. So I feel there are a lot of stupid people in the world.
December 18, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Red Ribbon Slips As I pull the bow off my present It slips off like the red low back dress I wear Fluttering around me as a cold breeze dances on my skin. As I pull the bow off my present I think about the memories I have with presents A gift of the now in how I can seize the moment of who I am a mirror of who I used to be Fluttering around me as a cold breeze dances on my skin. As I pull the bow off my present Red always comes to mind, during the holiday times in winter Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Valentines galore filling up the air with a sweet scent Fluttering around me as a cold breeze dances on my skin. As I pull the bow off my present I think about the joy and love I put into making it The hard earned coins from my blood, sweat, and tears that I put into getting the materials Fluttering around me as a cold breeze dances on my skin. As I pull the bow off my present I think about how life has been a gift colored red pumping my blood in me It is spilt monthly to detox from the inside out Fluttering around me as a cold breeze dances on my skin.
December 18, 2020
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Talk about whatever else is on your mind today.
Although Christmas is in the air, perhaps the joy of the yuletide isn't in our hearts as much as in previous holiday seasons. Due to the pandemic, families world-wide are facing long separations. Businesses have closed, leaving many without jobs. COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to skyrocket. Yes, a vaccine is definitely a step in the right direction, but above all, we need to band together, strictly observe pandemic protocols and defeat this threat to humanity. Only then can true joy return to our lives.
December 18, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Work oddly became a visceral struggle for me, though the issue is arguably small in impact/scale. My office is trying to create a virtual "holiday" gathering. I'm doing my best to walk-back "holiday" in recognition of how many that leaves out (Diwali was early last month, Ramadan is in summer, etc.) and how symbols of Christianity generally pervade despite people's efforts to try and keep things "diverse." Coordination around this event is BAD, things are being thrust upon me in the 11th hour, and I worry about being associated with poorly-designed material; I'm partly a professional event coordinator, after all, and this could reflect poorly on me. And then there's the double-speak from my employer about internet and winter weather. If in-person classes are cancelled due to bad weather, then so too are online courses. Staff who have been telecommuting during the pandemic will be expected to work during the bad weather, because they can work from home. The cognitive dissonance here astounds me. I almost don't care which way it goes, but something needs to get balanced out here.
December 18, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I made this angel over 20 years ago. It tops our tree every year, even though we have a much less horrifying angel and a star. My mom always insisted we put it up, because she thinks it's cute since I made it. I think it's high-key terrifying. Her eyes follow you. I always fought my mom over putting her up, except this year. I used to decorate the house, but this year I was asked not to come home until Christmas (and to wait to see if coming home for Christmas is something my family is comfortable with). So my mom decorated. And when she sent me a picture of the scary angel, for the first time I thought it was sweet. All our ornaments are stuff we made as kids, or momentos-- things like that-- but the angel feels different. It feels like I didn't miss as much, like I'm there somehow. I'm hoping my parents will let me make the 45 minute journey to their home for Christmas this year, but I understand if they don't. I've gotten two covid tests so far and I'm planning on two more, but tests aren't perfect and I can't control their comfort level, and I don't want to jeopardize their health. Christmas means a lot to me, but health and life mean more.
December 18, 2020
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We hear a lot these days about the economic impact of the pandemic. Has this been on your mind? If so, tell us what you're thinking.
I heard a piece on the radio that the world now has multiple centibillionaires - that means people who have more than 100 billion dollars. And in the same breath there are longer lines than ever at the food banks and people are making choices between paying rent and eating. It makes me so angry. This is not right.
December 18, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
It's hard to shop for Christmas stocking presents online! (Even harder to get them where they need to go in a timely way.) My two-person "pod' is at risk. My young friend wants to sign up to be a teacher's aide, in person. That means she'd be at risk several days each week, which would make it hard/impossible for us to continue to live togehter. That's a pretty scary prospect: I've certainly lived alone, but not pandemic-alone. But my job is to be a good mom-equivalent, so I can't try to influence her. If it weren't for the pandemic I'd be in Georgia canvassing! Aarghh. The limits on hand-on helping is so frustrating. Same with climate: no direct action, no civil disobedience. The stuff we can do feels so pale compared to the need for action. But it feels stupid to risk COVID for a sit-in.
December 19, 2020
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Have people in your community supported one another during the pandemic? Talk about why or why not, and maybe give some examples.
Community? What community? I never see anyone. In some ways, yes. But even in my cohousing community, it mostly feels as though people are looking after themselves, and community discussion about COVID is mostly about the higher-risk people making sure they are not put at risk by others. All framed as 'keeping the community safe" of course. People probably do things I don't see: shop for our elders, etc. There was a charged discussion about whether someone needed to tell the community if they got sick. Mostly everyone makes their own decisions about risk.
December 19, 2020
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How has the coronavirus pandemic affected how you feel about yourself, others, or the world?
I think the pandemic has been a great reminder that we are mere puny humans and that despite all the things we have achieved, we really do not control the universe nor do we have any idea what tomorrow will bring. It has been humbling at a massive scale. I think that many people, including myself, have started to see our lives differently-- we do not control everything, we can make plans but only God knows if they will happen. The pandemic has shifted my priorities-- I am more focused on relationships and things that will last-- rather than superficial encounters and entertainment. I feel like the pandemic has been a giant detox of sorts-- getting rid of all the toxic unnecessary clutter in my life and making room for those things that really important, that nourish me, and I genuinely care about.
December 19, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I find myself drifting aimlessly day to day. I’m so aware of how fragile life is. How so many people are being taken from us too soon. How it seems especially cruel we are experiencing a surge during what has traditionally been the “the season of joy”. So since I can’t do any thing about so many of the “big” issues in life I find my self looking at little details of things I would have overlooked before. I must admit I’ve never sat and watched rain drops drip, counting seconds for them to collect and then drip, and then try and match that with the click to catch a picture. Regardless of how steady the drip is, “catching the moment “ seems a fitting metaphor for these times.
December 19, 2020
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Make a wish!
December 19, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I am scared. Watching everyone go about their lives like nothing is happening. I am scared that the hospitals will be overwhelmed and the healthcare workers quitting or having lasting mental health issues. And I we won’t have access to healthcare that we need. People are so selfish and the government has abandoned us. We are dying out here and no one cares. The economy is more important than lives. I am so sad and scared.
December 19, 2020