Whenever I hear a siren, my first thought is, “where are my family members?” That started when I was a young mom. It continues to this day and now includes three grandchildren.
Lately, it feels like sirens are going off 24/7. Not the real police and fire sirens, but the sirens alerting us to moment-to-moment updates and changes surrounding the coronavirus.
I don’t scare easily. I’ve worked with Fire Departments and have had significant emergency management training. I’ve worked in municipal management for 20 years and have been at the Area Agency on Aging for 15 years, working with senior volunteers and the vulnerable adult population.
But what is this? What am I supposed to do with this?
While I confess I’ve had some anxious moments, and reality-based concerns, I’m mostly setting that aside to focus on what I can control instead of what I can’t.
My husband and I actually had a minor blow-up this week over the most ridiculous thing – the best way to cook the spaghetti squash. Thirty seconds later we both apologized, then laughed. We acknowledged respective stress points and hugged. I have no doubt we could be quarantined together for a while and actually enjoy it. It did register quickly, however, the way we all might be unknowingly preoccupied with concerns that can color our reaction to simple matters.
That’s when I decided I’m going to remain the person whose cup is at least half full!
I’m not going to tell you what to do to stay safe. My guess is you’ve heard it at least a thousand times or more. I can only share my personal perspective in this moment.
One thing I’m going to do is find ways to support the local businesses in my community. For some, a couple months closure could be devastating, even resulting in closing the business permanently. I can purchase a gift certificate to use later – even for this summer – and it may help them through this time. Maybe even use some of them for Christmas gifts!
I’m going to check on my neighbors. You likely know people in your neighborhood who might be elderly or disabled, or perhaps that mom home with three kids who would be so grateful to have someone pick up a gallon of milk for them.
I stopped by a small local grocery store the other day, and had, surprisingly, picked a pretty quiet moment to pop in. There were only two of us in the check-out lane, each with few items. We didn’t know each other, but naturally had a bit of conversation, a very pleasant one. No, we weren’t standing six feet apart from each other. While I am being cautious, it just was not yet natural to do that. At one point he said, “we’re supposed to be afraid of each other now, aren’t we?” It wasn’t a question, just a melancholy remark, human to human. But, that’s not where my heart is. I’m not going to be afraid.
When I come home from work my dog is so happy just to see me. She dances and talks to me and rolls over for belly rubs. Our furry friends are fortunately oblivious to this world-wide health event. I want to be more like her. There’s no reason I can’t still dance.
And, my Christmas cactus starting to bloom…again. Today is a good day.