Our state of Florida is starting to open up a tad, and we are getting back to my least favorite part of parenting. We are putting limits on things, that other parents are okay with, and our kids are frustrated. We get to be “the bad guys” once again. We’ve agreed to have weekly family meetings to discuss what our current house stance is on summer jobs, outside interactions, masks, beach trips, shopping trips, restaurants, etc. It would help me more, if I felt more concretely solid about what is the right thing to do, too. We have been very fortunate to not know anyone personally who has been infected with the coronavirus. Our zip code has less than five cases of it. Like all places in the world, there are a fair amount of restless people here, wanting things to get back to “normal.” I don’t like the idea of living in fear, but I must balance that with being responsible to myself, to my family, and to my community. With the onslaught of so much information, it’s hard to know what and who to believe. There still seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding this virus. How are you all coping with this uncertainty? Feeling uncertain is admittedly my least favorite state of being. I trudge strongly forward when I feel resolute. Uncertainty kind of paralyzes me. I’m going to try to take this perspective seen below, on uncertainty. It screams “hopeful.”
I’ve been second-guessing my decisions from Day 1 of lockdown. My husband is a construction inspector and his job is considered “essential” so he’s been working steadily. My son is a lead cart attendant at Target, and as a result of the new store sanitization policies, he’s been getting double his normal hours. I am considered “high risk” since I’m Type 1 diabetic.
Throughout this pandemic, I’ve been thinking about the options and risks, and I’ve come to the conclusion that we each do what we have to do. As an inspector, my husband is pretty much solo, even when he’s on a job site. He wears appropriate protection and has minimal interaction with other workers.
My son frequently spends up to 6.5 hours cleaning surfaces at the store, clothed in gloves, face mask, and sometimes full PPE if he’s hosing down carts. He’s also in the age/health group deemed least likely to suffer serious complications from the virus. And frankly, he needs the physical activity his job provides; he needs to burn off that nervous energy. He’s prone to anxiety, and his tasks at the store help remind him that life can function at a somewhat normal level if we all take precautions to remain safe. Plus he’s getting an additional $2/hour right now, so he feels like he’s making a fortune!
For myself, I am a shut-in. I already work from home, so not much has changed in that regard. I make one trip per week to the grocery store, and if we need something in the meanwhile I try to get my son to bring it home from his store. The yoga studio where I practice is providing sessions via Zoom, as is the weekly Al Anon meeting that I attend. Although I’m a pretty social person, I’ve been surprised at how easily I’ve adapted to this new normal.
We are all practicing ritual hand washing, protective gear, and social distancing. I feel confident that we will make it through this and come out stronger on the other side. It helps that my little family is generally pretty healthy; rarely are any of us ill. So that gives me the reassurance that if we continue our protective measures we should be okay. If our county would just open the parks and beaches that would make things a little better, but for now I’m content to stay safe.
Sounds like you have a good plan going for you and your family, Kelly. You are right, everyone just has to feel good about what they are doing. That is a key component. We are all just doing the best that we can, on a day to day basis. Stay well, my friend. 🙂