PANDEMIC MEMORIES...

What was life like in early 2020?

We had a great start to the year, going on a business trip to the Netherlands and Ireland in February - 2 weeks back to back.  Dan's 60th birthday was spent on the weekend between the 2 trips in Amsterdam.  We thoroughly enjoyed it and knew there was some concern about a virus in China but otherwise were not affected until we re-entered the country and they questioned us about where we'd traveled.  That was February 29. From there things escalated quickly to businesses and church closing, mask-wearing, and shortages!

What was the biggest change? 

Not going places for fear of getting the virus.  Wearing masks, for sure!  Feeling suspicious and wondering if this whole thing was real or not.  Weird shortages at the store - from toilet paper to detergent.  Dan had worked out of the home office for years so that wasn't new for us.  But not going on business trips every few weeks was very different for him.

What were your coping mechanisms?  

Getting outside!  Of course walking has been a big part of my life for a long time.  We also took the opportunity to re-decorate the formal dining room and paint the laundry room.  

What did connection in your relationships look like?  

Less getting together - trying to "social distance" - a new term for everyone!  With our kids we still got together for birthdays and holidays and a few times we played games on an app called House Party.  Unfortunately we did not see any of Dan's family at Thanksgiving or Christmas because their small town had a terrible outbreak of Coronavirus.

What will you remember most?

The disappointment of plans being cancelled.  We had planned an Alaskan cruise far in advance to accommodate all 6 of our kids schedules.  The ship we booked ended up in the news as one of the ones there was a Coronavirus outbreak on. I really felt bad about was those who missed graduations and weddings or they were drastically different that what they wanted.  But the worst was those we knew who lost loved ones from the virus!  Another thing that happened was Dan had our pool filter blow up in his face and he ended up in the hospital for several days and I was not allowed in to see him nor knew how bad it was for the first8 hours.  It was a scary and frustrating time.  He ended up having 5 more surgeries on his teeth/eyes and we are thankful he still has his vision.  

What was the biggest challenge?

Not knowing how long this was going to go on...and the sadness for those who died.  There were many others who died this year as a result of the isolation and other complications the pandemic caused.

What was a beautiful memory?

There is not much I can think of except worshipping outside with our church family, singing outside in the OC Forum.  

What do you believe now that you didn't one year ago?

I already knew this but was reminded...Life is short and we should appreciate each day!

What would you do differently?

Nothing - I found out how much of an introvert I am.  I love reading books and working on things at home, and did more of both.  But if I was unable to go to my Body & Soul exercise class I would definitely suffer emotionally.  Praying with my sisters in Christ and moving to inspirational music really is a boost for me!

What will you carry forward?

Don't be afraid to try new things or change old ways.  Look at things from a different perspective.  Women's Ministry that I'm volunteering for had to embrace some new ways of doing things.