Change

I'm usually the person who says why not! when faced with an opportunity to learn or do something new. I'll pretty much try anything once. I thrive on figuring out a path, adjusting to challenges, and getting past old ways of doing things. But even so, I, like everyone else, am a creature of habit. Or rather, a comfort-zone creature. There’s a set pattern or rhythm to my days. I know what to expect (most of the time), and I plan accordingly. Well, COVID-19 has blown it all apart.

We were in Florida when things got “real.” It was supposed to be a week of doing nothing – reading books by the pool and then deciding where we would be going to dinner each night. One week – the only week of the year when it’s just the two of us. And yes, I know that sounds privileged. I get that. Please understand, I’m not whining, just setting the stage. I had arrived on Friday, but by Monday, we were driving home. (No planes for us given my respiratory issues.) Eighteen hours later, we were home – and still talking to each other!

My husband is on the COVID-19 response team at the private school he’s been working at for 45 years. Each day the calls were getting longer and more worrisome. The school has students not only from the United States but also all over the world. Everyone had been on spring break. But, in fact, some of the Chinese students hadn't been able to go home for spring break and had been stuck in the dorms for two weeks. I couldn't imagine it. Not being able to go home and see your family. Watching the news and worrying. Studying for SATs (which ended up being canceled), tiring from the monotony.

And change was around the corner.

The school decided not to open after break. The fantastic faculty shifted into high gear. Online teaching training was quickly developed – from Kindergarten to Grade 12 – and within two days, everyone was online. The University where I teach did the same thing. I’ve become a ZOOM master! Well, sorta. I’m still figuring it out. I forget to hit the record button, but I have learned how to share my screen and pass control of the mouse! And one thing I know for sure – I'll be ready in the fall to teach my classes in-person or online and not miss a beat. My sister is also a teacher – at a high school for Learning Disabled kids. For them, the change from a structured in-person classroom to classes online has been so tough. She says some of the students just aren't showing up – and that worries her.

Change. Do I like teaching online? Mmmmmm...not as much as being there. But it's working. I've slimmed down the course, and with ZOOM, I can at least see them, joke with them, let them know that we'll get through this together. After all, we only have four weeks to go. Some of them seem to be doing fine -a relative term, of course. Others, struggling with forced changes in their lives (no gym, no hanging out) and being home again.

So, this whole working from home thing. How’s that going? We quickly realized that we needed to be on different floors to make it work. He's on calls, I'm teaching classes. It was too distracting to be within earshot of each other! And so, we have adjusted. So far, so good. We head off to our respective offices and meet in the middle to have lunch together and end the day with powering down and unplugging.

Yes, we are social distancing – at least from everyone else. I will tell you this is a change I do not like – and I’m sure many others agree. Not being able to hug my grandkids is just awful! We FaceTime, but it’s not the same. I stopped by their house the other day to drop something off – and I got a “what are you doing here?” from my granddaughter. In other words, GMa – go home!

Each of our mothers is struggling a bit, too. I've seen posts online joking about us having to keep our parents from going out (a role reversal for sure!) They are an independent bunch. But they are most vulnerable. When I spoke to my Mom, she said – “You know I keep forgetting I’m 88.” Fortunately, she can sit outside on the balcony and watch the manatees swim by in the bay. And my brother is there to keep tabs on her. Closer to home, we convinced my mother-in-law to try a home delivery from Wegmans – a change from her habit of checking out all the sales in the store while getting in some walking. (Today the Instacart delivery folks went on strike. Another day, another challenge.) We also gave her a list of the DirectTV channels so she could find something other than news to watch. (Of course, she said she wanted a gold star from us because she had watched a movie on the Hallmark Channel.) Hopefully, the weather will continue to improve, and she will be able to go for a walk with her caretaker each day. Getting outside is healthy for our minds and bodies - for all of us, and it's not hard to keep the six-foot rule in place.

Even our gym workout sessions have moved online (ZOOM again), and it's excellent! We see familiar faces, laugh at our clumsiness, complain about the exercises – just like we do at the gym. It keeps us active. And while we're doing it, we have to focus on our breathing (or catching our breath) and can’t think of anything else. Not a bad way to spend an hour. (And truth be told, I like just tumbling down the stairs in the morning to our workout space instead of driving to the gym. This change I could get used to!)

I have relatives and friends who are nurses and doctors. I don’t know how they are doing it. No matter what your politics – these folks deserve praise and a raise. They are working long hours in horrendous situations. While we are all taking it one day at a time – they are dealing with it one patient at a time, one minute at a time. God love them. I also have infected relatives. My aunt and uncle in Delaware are home, weak, and trying to rest. All they did was go out to dinner two weeks ago….

This ain’t over. There will be more changes. And we will get through it.

Change is hard. We all react differently to it. Let’s remember that over the next couple of weeks, okay? We get scared. After all, the unknown is very unsettling. Some folks hunker down and avoid it all. Many can't take their eyes off screens and worry about every new development. Many are just mad. (I will admit to yelling at the TV when I hear something just incredulous.) But I also try to find smiles in all of this. There are some very talented folks out there creating memes that just crack me up. The other night we held a Quarantini Cocktail hour on Zoom with friends, and it was fun!

We’re all figuring it out in our own way. Here, we are watching movie after movie. (NO sports on TV is tough for my hubby.) We’ve decided to eat healthier – no junk in the house – trying new recipes, and we’re actually losing weight! I’m crocheting like a fiend (afghans for my grandkids), and I just ordered more yarn from a local business.

We’re all in this together. I know we keep hearing that statement, but it’s true.

Stay safe, everyone. Stay home, everyone. It's the only way to beat this thing.