Looking back, an open letter to COVID-19:
Everything was going swimmingly. Life wasn’t perfect, by any means, but I was in the groove of being a full time working mom to a 3.5 year old. Weekdays were chaotic to say the least — yet we were pushing and pulling enough to be getting by. Fresh off a reset staycation, we entered 2020 with goals and dreams for our family, my career, and for the life around us.
As I look back at what the calendar held for the months of January and February, chaos is a great way to describe the life that we were living. Trips to the Children’s Museum, ski weekends, cousin sleepovers, the zoo, winter festivals, and elaborate birthday parties were the norm. It wasn’t until everything came crashing down, that I realized how genuinely busy and exhausted we really were.
Life stopped for our family on March 16th. We rarely left our house for the next 10 weeks. I really started to see my son (for perhaps the first time) as he developed into the nearly four year old that he is. As difficult as it has been, I will cherish this time for the rest of my life. We have lost so much (jobs, friendships, memories) yet we have gained more than I can even describe.
I’m angry, sad, and confused. I’m also hopeful for the future- and thankful for this time safe at home with my family. Time is something we have had a lot of over the past few months. Each day has felt long at times, but the weeks and months have flown by. For now, I will take it one moment at a time and will continue to remind myself that life has a funny way of changing quickly. Sometimes, you just have to open your eyes.
Sincerely,
A wife, mom, daughter, sister just like you.
