Hello there, my friend!
Three years ago today, I was preparing for our kids’ choir at my church to sing during its four services that upcoming weekend. It was a Friday (the 13th), and I had all my kids’ choir ducks in a row. As is the case most days, I needed a couple of things at Publix, so I dashed in the late afternoon to get those things.
As I parked my car, my phone rang. It was Jessica, the Children’s Ministry Director at my church at that time. “Well, I’ve got some bad news,” she said, “The kids are only going to be able to sing at one of the services this weekend.” That new virus was just starting to cause trouble in our neck of the woods. There had been new rules just put into place about how many people could safely gather together. We could have the kids sing at the Saturday evening service, but the Sunday morning ones would be too full. Not safe.
Oh, man! I thought of the kids who worked so hard on solos, dances, and memorizing words. OK, nothing we can do about it. It’s still one service.
I ran into the store and got what I needed. As I returned to my car, my phone rang again. It was Jessica. “More bad news. Kids can’t sing at any of the services because there won’t be any services this weekend.” Our church had to cancel in-person services altogether.
It felt like things were changing by the minute back then! Probably, because they were! “Novel coronavirus” was unfolding before our eyes. Oh sure, we’d heard about it happening far away, but now— it was here. What to do?
For some reason, I’m thinking about those early days a lot this year as we mark three years since it started. Maybe because life feels pretty much returned to “normal” for me. But, dang! What a crazy three years it’s been!
I dusted off another old piece I wrote at the very beginning of all this. Back before we knew much at all. Before we could scarcely find toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or Lysol wipes. Before we started arguing over masks and vaccines. It seems strange now to think about how new and weird it was to live as we lived.
I wrote this on March 18, 2020:
Staying pretty secluded, Day 3: Does anyone else feel a bit like you’re living in a sci-fi movie right now? I’ve always had a penchant for books and movies about weird mutant viruses that come out of nowhere and wreak havoc on the nice people in the story. But that’s just it . . . . those were just stories.
In the last five days, we’ve gone from being advised not to gather in groups of more than 250, which quickly jumped to just 50, which soon went to 10. Ten! Suddenly all activities are off the calendar, kids are home from school, people are working from home, and we are supposed to be staying home as much as possible and when we’re out, keeping our distance from others. I know for a lot of folks, this is a really rough time, and for those of you feeling the brunt of this, I’m truly sorry. Weddings have been postponed. Class trips are canceled. Job situations are up in the air. Medical staff will be inundated if they aren’t already. This is uncharted territory for us, and we just don’t quite know what to do.
All of this is easier for me than most because: A.) My kids are grown and gone. No one to homeschool here! No sibling fights to mediate, school lessons to figure out, no one is hungry or bored and looking to me for help. B.) I don’t work outside of our home, so no figuring out how or if I can make that work. C.) I may be approaching the status of “elderly,” but I’m not quite there yet. And I don’t think having bunions qualifies as an “underlying condition.”
As for being an introverted homebody whose social activities have been completely kiboshed, can I say so far I don’t hate this? I mean, I do hate that we are all having to go through this, and I’m sorry for all the trouble it is causing so many people, but I’m trying to find the positive in what’s happening, and here’s what I can see:
- I’m so grateful for my house. It’s way too big for two people most of the time, but now I’m glad to have so much room (and so many rooms) to roam and inhabit.
- I’m so grateful for technology. Wait, did I really just say that? Usually, technology intimidates the heck out of me, but keeping in touch with friends and family via group texts, emails, social media is so important right now. Plus, my church streams its services online, so even though we’re not meeting in person, we still can “have church” while all this virusy business is going on.
- I’m so grateful for my husband. As we say to each other with a smirk and a shrug, “You’re all I got,” humorously implying that that’s a small thing. He has always worked so hard for our family and only seems to be working harder as the years go by.
- I’m so grateful for my God. So much of this is difficult to understand, but I still believe God is in control. It’s a daily choice to trust He knows best and will take care of me and my peeps.
Whoops – This list should really read in reverse order, as it doesn’t look good to have my house and technology listed over God and my husband. I’ll work on that.
Stay well! – – – Patti
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As I read this, I’m still grateful for the same list as above and so much more. I’m grateful that it’s three years later and things are better. Maybe it’s a good day to count our blessings, name them one by one.
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
Written with love – – – Patti XOXO
P.S. The kids are singing in my church for the first time since March 2020 in two weeks! Come see them at Community of Hope Church in Loxahatchee Groves on March 26, 9:00 or 10:30 service! Check out the church’s website here.