April 19, 2020
When I first heard about CV 19 in January, as it was far away, it didn't affect me that much. But as the weeks progressed, everything changed.
First my husband and I cancelled our intended trip to Israel and London that was to take place in March/April, 2020. I missed seeing my elderly aunt and missed seeing the daughter of our friends get married.
On March 16th, I started working from home.
As a respiratory educator, I have been listening to many videos and read many articles/ been on many websites related to CV 19 topics. During the daytime, I educate people to manage lung disease, help them to navigate the system and answer their questions/give them evidence based advice. At the end of the day, I try to go out for a walk all the while practising social distance measures.
Being in a choir came to a grinding halt. I've been singing in the choir for 20 years. Many times although I'd be really tired and preferred not to go, I found that I perked up once I was there. I miss my choir family.
I suddenly found myself having to learn a lot of apps that allow me to stay in virtual touch with other people. I never had used apps such as Zoom or Slack before.
I haven't seen my family in person for weeks. I am about to become a grandmother for the second time. I don't have much hope that I will be able to see my new grandchild anytime soon.
On the other hand:
My husband and I were able to rebook our trip later this year. If things calm down with CV 19, and there are no other issues, we should be able to go.
On March 16th, I started working from home. I'm grateful that I have an employer that allows me to do that.
As a respiratory educator, I am glad to be able to help people navigate the system. I contribute to the messaging about CV19 on the website and social media. I'm glad to be able to get outside and enjoy my walk at the end of the day. I've discovered how far I have to walk to get the equivalent number of steps that I would get from running on the elliptical at the gym. I am glad that I am relatively healthy and hope to stay that way.
Although I can't sing with my choir, I have enjoyed listening to many of my favourite artists' postings on social media. I share many selections including the ones from our cousin in Israel. Neil Sedaka has been posting mini concerts every night from his living room in his New York City apartment with his pet macaw behind him. He makes people feel happy. I sing along.
I am glad for apps such as WhatsApp, Zoom and Slack that allow me to stay in touch with family and friends. Even though I am not with them, I can still see them. Last week, I was able to participate in a virtual Zoom session for my aunt's birthday with my family in Israel and North America, and a Zoom Seder with my family here.
I am excited that soon there will be a new addition to the family. Because of Zoom and WhatsApp video, I will be able to stay connected. I hope all will be well. I am so happy that I was able to play cards virtually a few weeks ago with my sons. I'm happy to get a video of my grandson's latest achievements thanks to his wonderful parents. Just yesterday, I watched a video of him reading for the first time. I'm happy that all my immediate family members are able to work from home. I'm very happy for my son's girlfriend on being able to defend her thesis virtually.
I needed to reorganize my perspective to realize all the negatives are opportunities too.
- Anonymous Contributor #2
The author of this post has chosen to remain anonymous. I have assigned a number to contributors who opt to remain anonymous. This is so readers have a sense of the number of different contributors that are involved in this continuously growing community.