Covid Quarantine, Day 5: Emotionally Battered, But Not Broken

Week 1 of quarantine out of ? (who knows how many weeks) completed.

Like many, I started out hopeful. I had the colorful daily schedule filled out at the 11th hour on Sunday for my son. It went by the wayside around 10 am Monday morning.

I monitored worldwide Covid stats as the week progressed. Mid-week, I was horrified at how the number of confirmed cases grew exponentially in New York City. The 400-600+ deaths per day in Italy, and the second waves that appeared in Hong Kong and Singapore (countries who initially had it under control) were sobering.

I also learned that school could be cancelled for the rest of the semester in many US states. Even scarier was hearing some estimates that the pandemic could last for 18 months.

All of the above, plus my decision to wade into Twitter for trends, didn’t help my anxiety at all.

My son thrives on routine, and not having the normal routine in place this week was a painful adjustment. Still, there were moments that reminded me all is not lost.

Today, I witnessed him discover the purpose and functionality of pockets. It sounds so silly, but to me it was such a wholesome moment that I was thrilled to be a part of! After showing him how to put something in his pocket, he tried it himself and it was as if he activated a new superpower. Can you imagine how such a simple action can make a kid feel so empowered?

So that’s where I am now. Despite the scary numbers, increased social distancing, and lockdowns that are ongoing, I hope you experienced one moment this week that was akin to what I witnessed.