WHAT DOES THE "CORONAVIRUS" MEAN TO YOU ?

I am 50 years old, and I have been practicing law for 27 years. I have NEVER experienced a Pandemic, not personally and certainly not professionally. COVID-19 is a phrase I never heard of until recently. Sadly, it seems to be ALL we hear about these days. Quite honestly, I am tired of it. Tired of all of it. This NEW NORMAL we are all experiencing together is not normal at all.

This is not a post about statistics, numbers, or deaths. It is not a post about what I think you should do, or not do, during this time. It is a post about people, about feelings, and about what this Pandemic has meant to me, and I hope, in some way, it will encourage you to take note of what it has meant to you.

I have many roles in this life: I am a wife, a mother, and daughter, a sibling, a friend, a boss, a colleague, and a Christian. None of those roles prepared me for the way this Pandemic has affected me. I have laughed, I have cried, I have been angry, I have been disappointed, I have been impatient, I have been intolerant, I have been fearful, and at times, I have even been filled with grief. I am a controller, a doer, a planner. I have a take charge personality. I am a fixer. But I can not fix this. I can not control this. I can not plan around this. I can not take charge of this.

I have two daughters. One is a senior in high school, one a sophomore. As their mother, this Pandemic has affected me horribly. I have watched my daughters cry over so much loss. No dance competitions, no senior breakfasts, no sporting events, no soccer games, no practices, no meals out with friends, no time at the gym, no spring break, NO NOTHING. Not to mention no school and no instructional learning. And the fear of what is to come, or not? No PROM? No HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION? Could that really happen? Sadly, I fear it may happen. And I can do nothing about it. NOTHING. The realization that as a parent that you can do NOTHING to change this situation and make things normal for your children has been the hardest thing for me. And I know I am not alone. I know this is the same for every parent to some degree. This is our sad reality.

So what do I do? I am trying my best to set an example for others. I am living my life as well as I can under these trying circumstances. I come to work every day. My office is open. It will remain open until I am told to do otherwise. I respect others. I respect their opinions, their feelings, and their fears. I listen. I cook. Yes, I cook. Those who know me well, know that I do not usually cook, but I now have to cook. My cooking has brought about a few good laughs in my household! I go outside. I do yard work. I walk my dogs more. I worship online, because my church is not open. I play games. I do not obsess over the news. I do not live in fear that I will be exposed to this virus, but I pray about it. I pray. I pray often and I pray hard. As a Christian, I believe that God is in control, that he has a plan, and that we WILL overcome this crisis with HIM. Until that happens, I will continue to pray.

I have realized through all of this how lucky that I am. I am healthy, my husband is healthy, my children are healthy, and my family members are all healthy. I pray that God will keep all of us safe through this crisis. I know that soon, we will return to normal. The real normal. The OLD normal. Personally, I can not wait!