When there is a national crisis, the first thing many of us do is reach out to our families. We want to hold them tight. After 911 I rushed to see that my kids were ok and to hold them and protect them. But today we are being told to shelter in place and for me, that means staying away from our kids and grandkids so we don’t get them sick or they don’t spread any illness to us. I have a son, daughter-in-law and 2 month old grandson living in New York City, the current epicenter of the coronovirus. And yes, I am worried. But they assure me they are safely practicing social distancing. Now that 30-year-old is calling on a regular basis to check in.
In New York one friend is a surgical doctor who is at a hospital and was still doing elective surgeries last week. Now that New York City is at the forefront of the coronovirus pandemic, they have stopped that practice but many things have changed. One of their friends, who was induced and delivered last week, was just ahead of the new mandate that moms in labor are not currently permitted to have a support person with them. First, there is the risk of transferring illness to the mom, baby and hospital staff, and secondly to preserve the PPEs personal protective equipment. It may seem for many of us a revisit to the 1950s. My mom delivered all three of us, while dad paced in the waiting room, maybe smoking a cigarette or puffing on a cigar. What a different time.
But we are learning a new way of life and are finding creative ways to reach out and touch someone. On Saturday, we set up a Zoom Happy Hour. At the appointed time we cracked open the beverage of choice and sat on a comfy chair in front of our computers to catch up. For my oldest daughter who had spent her first week “homeschooling” her children, it was a pause in the chaos of managing three children who understand the inconvenience of having their schedule disrupted and finding themselves at arms length for an entire week of sibling rivalry spats. For the youngest, the two month old, who slept peacefully, his life remained the same. But for me, it was a chance to see my babies with their babies. We laughed a little bit, we got a word in edgewise between the conversation-jumping and interrupting of the pre-teens and tried to figure out how to hug without hugging. But as a mom, I want my kids to lean on one another in trying times and hopefully, this was a first step in keeping them close to me and close to one another as we navigate through this trying time.
I’ll drink to that!
Shine Bright Where You Are 