If you would’ve told me three weeks ago that I’d be quarantined with my little crew for who knows how long because of COVID-19 (“COVA-whaa?!” first of all – I knew little-to-nothing about this mighty virus three weeks ago), I would’ve shook my head and said “No way. ‘Quarantined’ is like, a war-time thing. Or a long-time-ago thing. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen today.” I say that because as the events of this pandemic have panned out, I keep thinking to myself how “stuff like this” is happening and am a part of it. I’m living through a time of life that will become a time in history that will turn heads in reflection – reflection of something that was hard, but human, and something that we in the COVID chapter simply had to get through.
While I know that virus is still approaching to stake its claim (I have yet to know anyone personally that has contracted COVID-19), for now, I still feel peace. I haven’t felt afraid of what’s to come yet, and for that, I am so, so grateful. I’m grateful to feel in control of understanding something very important: in this situation, I’m not really in control. There are overhead decisions being made that I have no influence over, like what I can leave my house for and who I can see and where I can go. There are further measures to be in put in place (I just have a hunch) that will be even tighter of which, again, I will have no control over. But this hasn’t overwhelmed me (miraculously), and I have felt in control of my little sphere: my home. I’ve felt relieved that I can still get the food we’re used to, even if I have to enter the grocery store in a controlled group and the quantities of goods are limited. I’m relieved that the girls have accepted reality – that school is canceled, that dance and gym are on hold, that they can’t be with their friends. I say “accepted” literally – Olivia, especially, has tolerated the changes without necessarily embracing them. Overall she has been amazing, but she has had her emotional moments of feeling the gravity of these major changes in such a short amount of time. I mean, within a day our lives were turned upside down. Friday, March 13, was normal – we woke up, went to school, ran the routine at home, picked Olivia up, homework, movie night, bed. Saturday, March 14, however was the end of what we’ve known as normal and the beginning of what we are still figuring out: our new life in quarantine. And while it’s hard, it’s okay. While I’d take back life as we knew it this second, I’m also amazed at the life pause that the pandemic has gifted us. Time to slow down, time to teach, time to play, time to be. How grateful I am for that pause.
I worry about the economic crash we face as a result of social separation and self-isolation. I worry about people losing their jobs, their homes, their joys. I worry about the catalysts for pulling national economies out of depressions (read: war). I worry about how much more we’ll have to change. For now, though, I’ll just hold on to what is still the same, welcome in the changes for today, and look ahead with hope. The world has seen all of these situations before and the world has pulled through. Why? I believe, personally, because the humility we find through such extreme trial brings us to God, and that God who is all-knowing and all-powerful helps us make amends. Heavenly Father is over all.
“For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not be able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?” Jacob 4:9
He has us in His hands. All (intermittently and eventually) will be well.
Here are the first few scenes of our life in quarantine. It ain’t half bad, to be honest. In fact, it’s pretty cute…
The girls played “family” in the yard for a couple hours on Saturday. Olivia was the dad. 🙂 Welcome to her new, “home office…”
Complete with her laptop…
It’s a Mac (can you tell?!)!
And snacks, and those tennis balls up there are from when she played in high school. Oh and she got a trophy once for winning some matches. Her words, not mine. 🙂
The jasmine is blooming and it is bringing heaven right to us (if only I could bottle up that smell and send it to you through the screens)!
Claire was the mom, and she was making things in her creative studio…
Specifically, a new ring. Ta da!
Emmy was their child.
Their very…
wild…
child.
😀
The few snaps below are from our Sunday, today. We miss meeting and worshipping with our friends at church, but I can’t even come close to describing the power that has been present during our small, special “at-home church.” Since we are our only teachers, we’re personal and we’re each stepping up to contribute and the Spirit has been here. I never want to forget these special, special Sabbath days…
After church, we FaceTimed family, played on the trampoline some more, the girls showed Dad their “art teachers” online (they’ve been taking drawing classes from the sweetest, most generous artists since we had our “All About Art” at-home lesson). Emmy wasn’t having it…
But like, she REALLY wasn’t having it, haha. Emmy!! You’re funny and fun.
And we just let ourselves “be.” Like Chloe Baby and I sat and snuggled and baby babbled for the better part of an hour, and since Ryan was home with the middle girls and Olivia was Face-Timing her friends upstairs, I could just sit and be with my baby. My delectable baby. Mmmm, I love that girl!
See? All is well.
