The Benedik’s + Covid 19 + social isolation day 8..

I didn’t sleep well last night, and had to have a mid-morning nap with Kooper to get myself moving.  So many emotions swirling in my head kept me up late last night thinking.  Having never been in a situation such as this, the unknown and ‘what if’s’ have really done a number on my anxiety level.   Brian is my voice of reason, the level headed thinker in our marriage, he is the one who makes things calm, yet realistic.  This morning he said to me, that about two times a day he pauses, and asks himself “is this real?  is this really happening to us?”  I couldn’t have been more taken aback.  Oh no, Brian, don’t you fall victim to the panic of the media and our community of toilet paper hoarders, not you, no way!!!   I need him to stay the calm, cool, and collected guy that he has always been.  If not, well, I might fall apart.

We all had individual tasks to keep us occupied throughout the day, and I decided to take one last run to Shoprite in a neighboring town, and Michael’s Arts and Crafts.   I had my wipes, my surgical gloves on, and just my credit card in my pocket, as I raced through Michaels grabbing art projects and crafts for me and the girls.  Just things to pass the time and keep us busy, as we head deeper into the lockdown stage of COVID 19 isolation.   Shoprite was an entirely different ballgame – it was PACKED and no one (the shoppers) seemed to have any social awareness of what was going on.   I even noticed some Shoprite employees in little “huddles” discussing protocol.  I really wanted to scream at them “SOCIAL DISTANCE PEOPLE” as the #1 protocol, but I was in too much of a rush to even address it.   As I did at Michael’s, I raced through grabbing things we might need if the world shuts down, and raced out as fast as I could.  It was the first time I felt a sense of urgency and panic in our community.     Once I returned home, I decided that was it – I am home now 24/7 unless it is a dire emergency.

We had decided earlier in the day that we would be ordering in from our friends Mexican restaurant in town, and the biggest perk of the day?  A quart of Margarita’s on the rocks TO GO….  Let me tell you, it hit the spot – especially after dinner as I polished off the last of it by the fire pit with Brian and the kids.  This is a very unsettling time – there is so much worry, so much heartache and concern for our community, that these simple moments sitting around the fire as a family reignite hope.

Each day brings new statistics and updates that are getting worse by the minute, the news and social media is overwhelming, yet we are glued to it.  I can only pray that we figure this out, meet the supply & demand of the hospitals & medical professionals, and as a country climb back to the top.  I came across the following on another blog this morning, its a tiny bit of positivity that has come to the countries that are recovering from this… I hope we are saying the same about the United States sooner than later.

Since the lockdown: Venice’s canals have become crystal clear. Italy’s coasts have dolphins coming nearer and nearer. Japan now has deer roaming free in the streets, and Thailand the same with monkeys. China has record-breaking pollution cuts. The Earth has already begun showing signs of amazing things that are happening from the absence of human pollution. What if – and hear me out – what if the entire human population used this as an opportunity to restart society on a greener, more environmentally conscious foot. What we’re seeing in the span of a couple of days is amazing. A pipe dream.
Gina Mayer

Stay safe, just BE, and remember my dad’s words, It is what it is….

xo KB