Our Last Nerve

My Daughter Said to me, “Can you Drink a Little Quieter?”

Yesterday my daughter said to me, “Can you drink a little quieter?” We are getting on each other’s last nerve.

It’s day 16 of our stay-at-home orders here in Los Angeles. 4 unemployed “adults” and 3 dogs in one house together is a lot. We only go out occasionally to forage for food and necessities with the required mask and gloves and we walk the dogs, we walk the dogs, and we walk the dogs. They’re enjoying the stay at home rule.

Ironically our 19-year-old daughter had applied for a ton of jobs before finally landing one that she loved, only to have a freak pandemic cause her to be laid off. Similarly, our 23-year-old son recently joined the tv and film sound union. While hunting for sound work and doing Postmates he had finally decided to get a more dependable job with a steady income. Corona virus hit and his employer closed up shop, hopefully temporarily.

My husband had just wrapped up his last season on the show Modem Family. As he started prepping two new shows, he, along with the entire entertainment industry, watched his shows stop production. Just like that, he was unemployed.

The good news is that my daughter and I have been doing YouTube workouts together. She likes Bodyfit by Amy, I like Popsugar. She’s never wanted to work out with me before. We’ve been making dinners and eating together as a family. I’ve even included candles, something usually reserved for guests.

We’ve played games including a card game that asked deep questions requiring lots of honesty. We were able to share feelings that surprised and enlightened all of us, cocktails helped.

There are at least four group texts on my phone throughout the day, friends and family making sure everyone is safe and healthy. Shared funny memes, videos and pictures to take the edge off. Offers to pick up food while heading to a store, offers of lemons and oranges from trees, offers to take walks together six feet apart. There are plenty of zoom happy hours with girlfriends because we miss seeing each other’s faces and of course who doesn’t need a drink with friends at the end of the day? There’s writing and reading, free classes online and free museum tours, masterclasses, documentaries, movies and binge worthy series. It can feel like TOO much at times.

We’re lucky we have a close community of friends that we love and that look out for each other. We’re lucky we don’t have elderly parents to worry about. Were lucky we can buy food and pay our bills, at least for now. It feels shallow to complain.

My heart hurts for those who are not so lucky. Those who cannot feed their family, those who cannot pay their rent, those who are fighting the virus, and possibly loosing.

Lucky or not, nerves are becoming frayed. Even with relentless daily meditation and frequent walks we are annoying the crap out of each other daily. In the best of times, our family with our different personalities can’t agree on a movie or a restaurant. When our chewing, swallowing or breathing is being commented on, you know it’s bad.