Perhaps the last time most of you were isolated or quarantined in your homes was when you were ill or recovering from surgery. When that happened most of you had visitors, well wishers and you knew exactly how long the course of your illness would take. Covid-19 is different. I had hip surgery a few years ago. I pulled out a child’s anatomy book and showed my grandson, Samuel, where my hip was and how they were going to fix it. I couldn’t drive so I took Ubers to visit him and explained the process and the time constraints. Without a beat, Samuel said: “Nana, after they fix your hip, will you still be old?” Yes, I said, “but it will be easier for me to get off the floor.”
Covid-19 is different. My grandkids and their parents are isolated in their home and I am isolated alone in mine. We do FaceTime and I make appointments to read stories to them from the books I’ve collected. There is no explaining the duration or time frame of Covid-19 to children because nobody knows anything for sure. How do we keep our own frightened hearts and voices from spreading to our children when there is little to soothe us in this tragic pandemic? How do you explain parks and beaches full of people who are disregarding the pleas of the medical establishment? There are challenges all around. Talk to each other, use a phone, commiserate and complain, relieve your hearts with loved one. Covid-19 is different.
Thank you Shirl, for your story! “Inside Our Time” digital series:
