Single Mom in a Coronavirus World

By now, most of us have seen both the jokes and the shelves.  Sometimes those two things are one and the same. 

My new daily routine includes turning on the Keurig and news simultaneously, guaranteeing I begin every morning with equal measures of energy and fear.  And I never realized how many times a day I touch my face!  Now that deadly little habit just needs to be curbed.      

Life is changing in all sorts of ways for sure.  The kids and I will be home starting on Monday.  We’ll eat whatever’s already in house, and, no, I didn’t go crazy stocking up.  While running through the grocery every other day is no longer practical, I believe we’ll be fine. Things that could potentially add insult to injury include the cancellation of prom and graduation, my kids completing their remote assignments in 20 seconds every day and, of course, those shelves remaining unstocked for too long.

What does a sound decision look like during these tumultuous times, and what’s an overreaction?  Good things I’ve done recently include canceling my “nonessential” air travel to see my parents and hugging my eldest after he flew back when his college shut down.  Bad things I’ve done include, well, cancelling my long-awaited trip south though I’m feeling healthy and hugging a boy fresh off a plane.  See what I mean?   

Basically, I’m not afraid of the actual illness.  (Says me, who has fortunately not contracted it.) It’s everyone’s responsibility to act thoughtfully so that that the older people and the immunocompromised in our lives and in our communities avoid it.   So please stay healthy, friends.  Wash those hands and don’t let fluids from your body escape into the air (as if we ever should!)  Whether you’re old, young, or even an invincible teen- be smart and play by the new rules.  This Single Mom is looking forward to a time when I can touch my face again…and when Coronavirus isn’t the top and basically only story on the news as I drink my morning coffee.