Life in a time of Corona…

While we can’t travel and be out of our houses socializing, this post will be something different. I am not one who likes to sit at home. I am usually the first person to set up social activities which drives my introvert husband a bit crazy. So when I came home and said, we aren’t going anywhere, for a while, Rob did not hesitate to say “sounds good to me!” Little did I know “a while” was going to be a lot longer than I thought.

When this all started, or when Rob brought it to my attention back in January I am not going to lie, I brushed him off. I tend to joke about him being a hypochondriac. By the end of February, it was spreading. The kids were out of school for a winter break, we took them to an huge indoor play ground, went bowling, and enjoyed time at our neighborhood play ground thinking well, as long as we wash our hands it will be fine. We are healthy people.

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Two weeks after bowling I started to feel a bit under the weather, a little tired, headaches, a small cough. It was nothing serious. So I still took Z to school. I didn’t hang out like I normally do though, I dropped him off and left still I touched doors and was around others. Almost two weeks ago, the last day of school before we were all quarantined Z had a school performance and as much as I wanted to be there I couldn’t. My not so serious cold got a little worse and with the threat of Corona I didn’t want to risk getting everyone else sick.

Three weeks ago, the first week of no school, really wasn’t that bad, I was actually feeling a bit better. Whew, I thought, I was going to be one of the lucky ones. I actually did have just a cold. Must be the yoga and all the smoothies. I am young-ish and considered healthy and low risk. BOOM- take that Corona!!

Still I was following all guidelines -that we had here in the Netherlands- I went to the grocery store, took Z on bike rides, we got up early and went to a field field near our house and played football before anyone else was out, made some pretty entertaining videos, worked on Z’s letters and numbers and built what I think is the best fort ever. Trying to live life as normal as possible.

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Then two weeks ago on Saturday I woke up barely able to breathe, coughing worse that I have ever before. It’s probably just bronchitis, I told Rob. Yet we decided I should come upstairs and rest. Saturday night The cough got so bad, that I was having a hard time catching my breath then it would stop for a while, it continued this way 5 min of severe coughing then 10 minutes of being “ok”. When I was sleeping it got pretty bad so Rob called the Doctor, I didn’t have a fever so the Doctor said to call back when I do.

I was isolated in the bedroom for 7 days, I should have isolated starting on the 13th of March when I first started showing signs. I ignorantly thought it was just a cold though. I can’t help but think “My God, was I part of the problem?”

This was my first week out of isolation trying to get into some kind of groove with homeschooling, keeping up with house work, and trying to write. I am not going to lie it is hard with a capital H. I know we are all doing it though, so even though we can be around our friends and family I am finding comfort in the fact that I am not alone.

We have been doing the best we can, Z actually seems to be enjoying home school, especially the yoga and art part of our day. So we are trying to embrace this new (hopefully temporary) normal.

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It has now been about six weeks since we went bowling, and hung out with friends. It seems like that was last summer. Things have changed so much. It makes me wonder if we had stayed home then, would we be here now? There is no way to know that. What we do know is if we LISTEN and stay home now, we may actually save lives and be able to enjoy our summer outside with each other. I know things seem scary and uncertain, we can get through this, if we decided to help each other, by staying home.

Write that book you have been putting off, get those canvas’ out that have been collecting dust and go to town, record that set you haven’t had the time to do, I would love to hear it. Learn the language you have always wanted to. When this is all over, you can go on that trip and be more immersed in the culture than you would have other wise. Reconnect by hopping on zoom and enjoying a virtual happy hour or game night with friends. We have to learn to live differently in this time of Corona.

From ROb, Z and I stay safe friends…

We all find comfort in many ways, I meditate, do yoga, and this scripture from Jeremiah always brings me comfort hopefully it will you as well.

Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you not to harm you , plans to give you hope and a future”