It's the last week of school. How can that be? It doesn't feel like the last week of school, with the electric energy pulsing through the hallways. My Zoom class attendance has plummeted, even on the last meetings of the class. Tomorrow I say goodbye to my 8th graders on Zoom. It feels so impersonal. I'm working on their "words," and I just can't even imagine how it will feel. I always give them their word with a hug. Now, even if we were together, I couldn't get close enough to touch them. My love language is touch... both giving and receiving. Quarantine is rough on those of us with the love language of touch. Yikes. I'm so glad I have Andrew, or I'd really be in a bad place.
Speaking of being in a bad place, does anyone see a problem with tear gas to break up a protest over racial inequity and police brutality, but no interference in armed protests on government buildings? I don't get it. If you think you do, please enlighten me. I want to be proud to be an American... not embarrassed.
Things are starting to open back up. There were pictures of beaches on Memorial Day absolutely crammed full of people. I don't get that either. To paraphrase my husband: If people have a toothache, they go to the dentist. If they have a leaky pipe, they call a plumber. If they have termites, they call an exterminator. But God forbid that in a pandemic, we would listen to scientists?!?!?!?! When did science become political? I'm more than a little perplexed by it.
OK. Enough negative. How about some good news? We realized this week that our air-conditioner is on the outs (trust me, the good news is coming). Luckily, we noticed this before it got too hot and when we had stimulus money to help pay for it. Not how we were hoping to spend that $2400, but I'm sure glad it's there. Overall, we're feeling pretty blessed during this pandemic compared to a lot of people. I'm trying to pay it forward by being patient, following the rules, and not being too sad about summer plans falling through. I was supposed to have two more chances to play Rosie in Mamma Mia this summer, and neither one of those are going to happen. Sigh. Hopefully next year.
Hope everyone out there in cyber land is hanging in there. 💚
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Monday, May 11, 2020
Quarantine Diary, Entry #6
A quarantine birthday has come and gone. I'm 48 years old, and who knew it would happen in chaos like this??!?! Andrew made sure I had a lovely day. I got 2 dozen roses, and he baked me a cake. My big present will be here this week sometime... I'm getting a birdbath! We have the perfect place for one in our yard, and that's what I wanted. Our yard is looking really beautiful. We got our annuals in, and everything is so green. The lilacs are fully out, and even though it's been chilly, spring is definitely here.
I've still been transferring VHS tapes to digital, and it gave me a bit of an epiphany. My mom remarried, after being single for 15 years, in 1995. She got married on May 27th of that year, and none of us knew that she'd be dead by August 18th of that same year. I transferred the VHS of her wedding and reception this week. It's a tape that I honestly avoid watching because it makes me so sad. But, this time, I watched a lot of it without getting upset at all. First time. During the reception, my mom and Mike went around to everyone in attendance and introduced them to the group. This was a lot of people! But, it was so cool to hear how that person knew my mom or Mike or both. Here's where the epiphany happens... In that room on May 27th, every person in attendance got to hear exactly how they were special to my mom. How many of us will be able to say that in the final months of our lives, we have told the people dear to us just what they meant to us and why they were important to us? What a blessing that day was for everyone in the room, and for my mom too. I guess the lesson is that we don't know when our last days will be, but maybe it's good to let those around us know that we love them and that they've influenced our lives in unique, meaningful ways.
Hang in there, everyone.
I've still been transferring VHS tapes to digital, and it gave me a bit of an epiphany. My mom remarried, after being single for 15 years, in 1995. She got married on May 27th of that year, and none of us knew that she'd be dead by August 18th of that same year. I transferred the VHS of her wedding and reception this week. It's a tape that I honestly avoid watching because it makes me so sad. But, this time, I watched a lot of it without getting upset at all. First time. During the reception, my mom and Mike went around to everyone in attendance and introduced them to the group. This was a lot of people! But, it was so cool to hear how that person knew my mom or Mike or both. Here's where the epiphany happens... In that room on May 27th, every person in attendance got to hear exactly how they were special to my mom. How many of us will be able to say that in the final months of our lives, we have told the people dear to us just what they meant to us and why they were important to us? What a blessing that day was for everyone in the room, and for my mom too. I guess the lesson is that we don't know when our last days will be, but maybe it's good to let those around us know that we love them and that they've influenced our lives in unique, meaningful ways.
Hang in there, everyone.
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