One Step at a Time

Just ten days ago my life was normal.  My calendar was full of activities.  We were aware of the advance of the coronavirus but it had not affected us here in Idaho.  And then our first case of the virus was confirmed.  After a few days, events and activities started canceling.  Some facilities, such as gyms, shuttered their doors.  My calendar is covered with Wite-Out; it is essentially blank.  Every day something else is closed and there are new warnings.

My husband and I are both retired but I am an active person, not used to staying home.  But that is what we are doing.  We are considered to be in the high risk category because of our ages and my health concerns.  We haven’t gone to the store for a few days; we are contemplating ordering groceries online and doing takeout.  Each day we have gone out for walks but we keep our distance from other people.  It is a strange reality.

I know we are privileged people in the midst of this pandemic.  We have an income and a home with a yard.  We are not lacking for any material thing.  Our daughters and spouses can work from home and are comfortable.  I am aware that many others throughout the world are not so lucky.

It is disconcerting to have our world turned upside down in such a short period of time.  We are uncertain about what each day will bring.  The news is all about the coronavirus.  We can’t escape it.  How long will this last?  We can’t make plans.

Perhaps the hardest part is the physical separation from other people.  We have rapidly gone from social distancing to near total isolation from other people.  Today is Sunday and many of us are missing our church services.  Some of them have gone online but it isn’t the same.  We miss the human contact.

How do we live in these difficult times?  I have close family members facing medical issues, anxiety, and other problems.  Life is overwhelming.  Our circumstances can change from day to day.  I tell them to take one step at a time.  It’s all we can do.  We can’t plan ahead.

I am trying to take my own advice.  As always I make a daily list but now I focus on self-care, home projects, connecting with community online, and calling people who need attention.  What can I do to be helpful from home?  It’s a learning process.  This is our new reality.

One step at a time.