“Hope is Passion for what is possible”
-Soren Kierkegaard
The best way I can describe these past two weeks is that it feels as if we are living in some alternate universe. We have slowly been losing track of time in our household. And with nowhere to go, or really, anything worth changing out of our jammies for, I feel as though it’s completely forgivable to forget what day of the week it is. Glancing at the calendar this morning it dawned on me that one month ago today, our family was vacationing in the “happiest place on earth”. Although it feels like another lifetime ago, February 25, 2020, between riding It’s a Small World with my family, sharing a Mickey-ice cream with my daughter, and posing for pictures in Cinderella’s castle, my biggest concern as a parent was questioning our decision to keep our first grader out of school one week longer than his peers. Believe me, the irony of this is not lost on me. It is surreal to think back on the progression of events that has taken place in just one month’s time.
I feel confident speaking on behalf of my family and friends that these past few weeks have been an extremely emotional journey for all of us. While we have been trying hard as a family to make the most out of an unforeseeable situation, I have been struggling with a sense of guilt trying to find joy in the little things, when the scale of what we are facing as a neighborhood, community, country, world, is so vast.
We are home, we are bored, we are missing our friends, our extended family members, and our teachers. However, we are healthy, we are well-nourished, and we have one another. On the scale of things, we are doing ok. There have been moments of fear, anxiety, sadness, frustration, and disconnection. These come in waves. Thankfully the moments of connectivity, gratitude, joy, and peace are still there, winning out, and seem to be increasing daily.
We are doing the best we can in an unprecedented situation. We are praying for (and SO GRATEFUL FOR) our family and friends who are out on the front line, caring for the nation’s sickest, and do not have the choice to stay home with their loved ones. We are laughing, crying, venting to our girlfriends, and touched by the solidarity our community has formed during this time where each one of us is struggling in their own unique way.
I am hopeful that in just a few months from now things will have returned to our own version of “normal”. I am hopeful that this will have changed us all for the better. I am hopeful that we will no longer take for granted the small everyday conveniences that we are normally afforded. I am hopeful.
I am sure to touch back on this soon, as so much of our lives are effected by this, and changed for the time being, but in the meantime….
Stay sane. Stay healthy. Stay home, but stay connected. And most importantly, stay hopeful!