Day 265
We were told today that most likely we are doing into further shutdown, a new stay at home order. We haven’t had that in months, yet here we are again. The COVID numbers are skyrocketing, and although many people get this virus and do ok, many people end up in the hospital and the concern is that the ICU’s will soon be overwhelmed. They call it COVID fatigue, that idea that we just can’t do this anymore. The masks, the six feet apart, the canceling of holiday plans, again. And many people don’t do any of those things, which is why we are in this mess again. All I think about when I see the rising numbers is Steven being in the ER and ICU working in Michigan day after day. It keeps me focused when I want this to just all be over.
Many people continued their Thanksgiving travels, planes, trains, and automobiles, not wanting to miss time with their family. The reality is, and the message all month was, have it hard now, or maybe not have some people with us during the holidays next year, but people didn’t listen. So the warnings since Sunday have been this could all go south. It has only been a week, and cases are skyrocketing, and we aren’t even in the thick of it yet. You would think people would listen, especially 265 days into it, stay home, but they didn’t. So now we will be forced to stay home, back on further restrictions, but this time, I am more prepared. I went grocery shopping online, have my holiday shopping almost done, realizing that my birthday is next week, Hanukkah two days later, Christmas, then New Years, and all of it will be spent at home, on my couch. I am grateful though to be healthy and able to spend it here with my immediate family. Learning to figure it out as we go, and learning to not just make it through, but make it better.
\Today I realized the importance of creating space, space for my students to come and know that I am here for them. Four days a week I host a digital writing space, just a place for students to come and get caught up, work on projects, connect. It is my way of saying, hey, we are in this together, let’s do this, and here is my virtual hug, a cup of coffee, and words of encouragement. Students selected Holiday Piano Music in the background today, and we work together, sometimes in silence, but it is less lonely, for me and for them. We started our writing club as well today. We are small, but we will grow. Again, learning to focus on the positive, on the present, on the being there. Excited for the new projects we are trying on together. Will share more here next week as we publish.
There are so many things I wish I could do during all this, but I am learning to do what I can and be consistently present as they come and go from our space. Maybe that is the lesson in all this for me right now, learning to be present, consistently and persistently there for my students.