Shocked by the Reality of it All!
Published in
3 min readMar 17, 2020
Friday’s shocking news about the state’s “state of emergency” sent me reeling into the weekend with one desire: take me away from all of this madness. The stress of the week’s developments was overwhelming, as my college son arrived home, sad, but with hopes of still traveling to Miami during spring break, and returning to college within a few weeks. The rest of the family endured a Friday off from public school with a barrage of emails and phone calls, changing the situation from bad to worse as the day went on. By 7pm Friday, the news was crystal clear that college was canceled through the rest of the semester, spring break was going to be spent at home, public school was on hold through mid-April, spring sports and concerts were canceled, and on and on. My normally over-reacting family was stunned, the refrigerator was full, and knowing the ability to enjoy a road trip would soon be restricted, I seized the day and went to visit a friend in Vermont on Saturday.
Traffic was light to none as I sped along the Mass Pike to 91North, then to the local Routes 30 and 100 into the Green Mountains. The air was crisp, snow still covered the ski resorts, the cabin was internet-free. I had driven two plus hours into a world suspended temporarily by the ill effects of coronavirus. The plan was to enjoy a day without concern of the pending social distancing rules, which would affect our lives as we know it. For now, we would enjoy a break — do yoga, drink wine, unwind by the fireplace, enjoy light conversation and prepare a simple meal in the cabin with provisions that fit in a single paper bag from Trader Joe’s.
Sunday morning found me back at the house with my sons, who came to the breakfast table innocently, then noticing the highlighters and articles scattered among the fruit, cereal bowls, and pastries from the day trip to Vermont, attempted to creep away, saying the unheard-of, “I’m not hungry.” Reluctantly, we read the article encouraging my three teenagers to avoid playdates, sports, sleepovers, hangouts, movies, and I felt their pain. This is not easy for parents or children. Who thought that freshman year of college and high school would be interrupted by a global pandemic?? The struggle is real, and I will continue to talk to my kids in a language that is both sensitive and firm because I know that this too shall pass, and we will be stronger and smarter as a result.
