Featured Refresh
Text & Image
¿De que manera el coronavirus le está afectando su vida en este momento? Cuéntenos sus experiencias, sensaciones/emociones, y pensamientos.
La Semana Santa en mi país es un tiempo muy especial. Se desarrollan gran cantidad de eventos religiosos como las procesiones, pero no solo eso. La Semana Santa es un tiempo en que las personas salen de sus casas y conforman una comunidad , por ejemplo, al elaborar alfombras de aserrín para las imágenes que pasan en procesión. Es un tiempo en el que colaboran niños, jóvenes y adultos. Algunos hacen las alfombras, otros proveen comida gratuita a los que trabajan. Los mayores les enseñan a los niños como hacerlo. Se trabaja hombro con hombro. Es algo que difícilmente se puede ver en otras circunstancias. Se trabaja durante horas, de madrugada, hasta ver el amanecer. Y el resultado es una obra de arte, bella, que desaparecerá en segundos bajo el peso de las andas. Las imágenes que salen en procesión representan actos de fe y devoción en quienes las cargan. Las devociones se trasladan de generaciones en generaciones en una misma familia. Las personas compran flores y las echan en las andas, se emocionan al verlas pasar. Es tan fuerte la vivencia, que es necesario experimentarla para comprenderla. Una señora amiga nuestra que murió hace unos años, durante su agonía, decía: "Ya viene el cortejo, ya va a salir la procesión". Así de fuerte se interioriza. La Semana Santa es un imaginario lleno de tradiciones, leyendas, gastronomía, arte, música, y por supuesto, religiosidad. El Covid-19 nos quitó eso. Desde el año pasado no ha sido posible tener una Semana Santa como solía ser. Es algo muy triste que creo nos pesa y nos duele a muchas personas. En la foto pueden ver una pequeña alfombra de aserrín que hice en mi casa cuando nos visitó una imagen pequeña de Jesús de Candelaria. La elaboré como una forma de intentar consolarme. Pero la verdad es que nada compensa la ausencia de las tradiciones de Semana Santa en mi país. Nada.
March 26, 2021
Text Only
How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
The loneliness creeps up on me. It appears out of left field. The desire to just go and hang out with friends, go out to eat, even browse stacks at the library. The library is closed and books are available for remote order and self pick up by appointment only. Work is still like a ghost town. We are beginning to get the first wave of people looking for help to avoid evictions. Our CARES Act funding is gone. We are hoping that a new relief bill will provide more funding as well as extend the eviction moratorium. What is demoralizing is that COVID or not, some landlords are getting around the moratorium by charging lease violations. I have a friend that had to find another home to rent because her landlord didn't tell her he was in foreclosure and had a short sale closing in 21 days! I am still doing housing inspections by Facetime. Lease-signing still is in person, but the contacts are kept very brief. We were encouraged to work from home on the 20th. I decided to take a vacation day and celebrate my son's birthday by cooking shrimp scampi and his favorite chocolate cake. I am woefully amazed at the selfishness of some legislators who adamantly refused to wear masks when sheltering from the violent assault on the Capitol. One of my representatives tested positive as a result. His whole family is in quarantine. You can't know how vulnerable someone is , or perhaps someone in their household is, by looking at them. I can't wrap my brain around how many people have been so duped. I was horrified that the Confederate Flag was used in the assault. As a nation, we are still experiencing the aftershocks of Reconstruction backlash. Just look at the disparities in health outcomes. We had health officials blaming minorities for having preexisting conditions that make them more likely to have severe COVID and die, when the structure and funding of our health care system (?), Big Agra, and trauma also contribute. I went on a novel-reading frenzy as soon as I was done with finals last semester... Classes start back up on Tuesday, with one class in hybrid format (1.5 hours Zoom Live and 1.5 hours in person). I hope they don't cancel that class again. This is the third semester I have tried to enroll in it, and it is the last class I need before internship. My anxiety is like a low-grade fever. Just enough to be uncomfortable, not enough to paralyze. I am finding ways to connect with people. I found a book discussion forum for mental health professionals that was very fulfilling and encouraging.
January 17, 2021