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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I am writing this on Thanksgiving Day, 2020. This week the pandemic primarily impacted Thanksgiving, and how we decided to celebrate the holiday. My husband and I just finished our Thanksgiving dinner for 2. We spent the day preparing it, and really enjoyed ourselves. I must admit, we were pleased with how it turned out. I was also reflecting on last Thanksgiving and how different this year is. Last year we hosted 13 people and 3 dogs. Our house was full of people, dogs and good cheer. We have a video of everyone at the table, busy talking and laughing. It was a truly wonderful and memorable day. This day was memorable, too, in a much smaller and quieter way. I do look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving again with our extended family, especially our children. However, I feel like we made the best of the situation this year, staying safe and keeping others safe, as well. One last note. I really missed my father today. He died 2 months ago. Although we didn't spend Thanksgiving with him since my mother died 7 years ago, I always spoke to him on Thanksgiving and we exchanged cooking tips and how the food came out. He was a really difficult person who could become enraged very quickly. I do not miss that part of him at all. However, when engaged around food and cooking, we could have nice conversations, especially when he was sharing tips with me. He made the best stuffing ever - pictured above. He always added apples, raisins and nuts. I hadn't had it in a long time but I found the recipe he dictated to me about 1 year after my mother died. I followed his recipe today, and it was almost as good as his It felt like a little bit of his good side was with us today.
November 27, 2020
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Some people are feeling intense feelings right now as a result of the pandemic. Is anything making you especially sad, angry, or hopeful right now? If so, what's on your mind?
We're planning for my son's 3rd birthday party right now, and we still have a lot of unvaccinated family. A lot of people are having parties and going to weddings and flying on planes, but with my unvaccinated child, we're still trying to be careful. I'm so angry when I see people blatantly disregarding the guidelines that have been suggested to keep each other safe, and I'm constantly weighed down by feelings of people being selfish. I'm sad for my toddler who has missed out on so much. He doesn't remember going to the aquarium or going to church or doing all the things I used to do with him. Previously we spent less time home than we did out, and now the exact opposite is true. We don't go anywhere or do anything, and now that the mask mandate in NJ has been lifted, I don't foresee us going anywhere in the near future. I'm so stressed out about everything, and many people are looking to move on despite the fact that the pandemic is still very real. When I applied for life insurance last year, they asked if I had ever tested positive for covid-19, so I can't even imagine what kinds of discriminatory practices or long-term health issues will transpire in the future for those who have had the virus. I'm trying to do all that I can to keep my son safe, and it's exhausting.
June 8, 2021