In high- risk category with 68 years old and still responsible for three generation
The baby I care for was 30 days old when I started. I spent 30 hours per week with her. I experienced her first smile. I screamed for joy as I heard the first sound of a tooth hit the spoon when her first tooth was sprouting. She would sleep with my lullaby in my arms when she was sick. I helped her roll, crawl, and hold her hand to support her first steps. I taught her the first words. I miss her badly. It wasn’t only a baby sitting job for me, it was fun and I loved this baby as she were my own grandchild. Since the first outbreak of virus, I have not been allowed to go back to my baby sitter job.
I am myself in high-risk category with smaller paycheck and right now my daughter and my son lost their job and are living with me . Three adults and two big dogs in a small apartment where pets are not allowed. This photo and this situation reminds me of the days when I fled my country. I was seven month pregnant, my daughter was five- years old when my husband and I took asylum in Germany. After the birth of my son, we were transferred from the refugee camp. Our family was accommodated in a small room with one bunk bed for four people, a small wooden table, three chairs, and a black with TV. Those were the days when we escaped the horrors of death, but we were grateful for every breath in the free world. Today we once again took refuge in each other for fear of death , but grateful for being together in these days of fear and hope.
Besides that, I am also my mother’s care giver. I have to take care of her every day as she is currently undergoing chemotherapy. As a single mom and head of the family, when I leave the house, I’m afraid of getting sick in the commute between two houses, grocery stores, and doctor’s visits and possibly harming my mother since her immune system is not strong enough to fight the virus.
In addition, the beginning of spring is Iranian new year. At Nowruz (new year) all families come together and celebrate, but this year each of us sat on the table alone to celebrate new year. This was just one side of story, the other one was our CSNU Iranian Club and Nowruz celebration. We invited 400 people for our big event and spent eight weeks for preparing our cultural event. We paid for the hall, ordered food, beverages, sweets and presents. We invited musicians and dancers but three days before our event, we had to cancel it.
Now my biggest concern and fear is the financing bottleneck and unemployment. Since my baby sitter job was not an official job, I cannot claim unemployment. Although I reported my second job to the IRS, I don’t know if it would be counted. It is clear that due to the outbreak of Corona virus the whole world are struggling, but for some include me these are double burden Emotionally and financially. Fortunately for now we are alive and there is hope for better days if not for all, for some of us. In the end I would like to mention the poem of the contemporary Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri, who said,”One should live, as long as there is an anemone.
