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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
It’s thanksgiving tomorrow and I usually travel by Greyhound to visit my brother and his family in Holland MI Not going this year and will spend thanksgiving alone with a bottle of white Zinfandel , a pumpkin pie and my cat Willow. Am thinking of all the things I have lost this year including my sense of safety: my mom, a favorite cousin, the bike trail along Muskegon Lake is flooded, coffee shops closed, public library has pick-up only (thank goodness for that), my writers group disbanded, fear of getting on public transportation and I have no car. And just chatting with people I met during the day in my apartment building, wandering around the city, and hanging out at the local coffee shop. We had our first snow yesterday and it was beautiful but a warm front blew through and it is all gone this morning, Rain and clouds expected today and the gloomy weather does nothing for my mood, And the fear that every persons path you cross could be harboring a deadly virus is unnerving to say the least. I’m emotionally exhausted,
November 26, 2020
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Talk about any major life events, milestones, or other important things in life that have been disrupted by the pandemic.
A year ago in May 2020, my daughter "graduated" from law school. Well, yes, she did complete her studies and graduate, and the school mailed her the diploma. But there was no graduation ceremony at all. We brought her balloons and a special meal, and her roommate organized a lovely zoom party with friends and family. But there was no wearing of a cap and gown, no commencement, no crossing a stage to shake hands with a university dean and receive a diploma, no speeches, no real party. Last year, we didn't complain, we just made do. Her's was one of thousands of graduations disrupted by the virus, and honestly, this was a graduate school graduation; we felt the high schoolers and undergraduates were the ones who really lost out due to the virus. But this past weekend, my daughter went to a party for a friend who graduated this past week. They had a smaller, pared down outside ceremony, but there was a ceremony and a party afterwards. My daughter's friend told my daughter to try on her cap and gown, and then they took pictures of my daughter goofing around in the friend's cap and gown. It was fun to see those photos and then I realized all over again, what had been lost or taken from her and others due to the pandemic. On Facebook, I've been seeing many, many pictures of graduations -- I'm so glad people can celebrate these important milestones again!
May 26, 2021