Health has always been the number one concern during this pandemic. We’ve been fortunate there. With the luxury of health, this fortnight of quarantine has been a challenge on a few fronts.
First, my wife and I taking care of each other. We were fortunate enough to have our bouts with Covid overlap only a bit. It felt like the ultimate passing of the batons. I came down with Covid first and just about the time my fever started to subside and my energy coming back, the symptoms began for my wife. Just the physical effort of fighting the sickness and getting through daily life – cooking meals and cleaning – with three kids running around was draining. Feeling so grateful for my wife’s amazing energy and fight that has helped us all through this trying period.
Second, entertaining the kids. They really have been absolute troopers throughout the past 10 days. The youngest still has a few more to go before he’s cleared to go back out into the world again. The oldest will be starting school once again. I find myself running around trying to keep the infant out of trouble that my ability to give attention to the two older kids has been limited despite all this time together. How many times over the past week and a half have I found them reading books together, playing legos, or building forts out of the couch. Their creativity and resilience is inspiring. I wish I could have done more for them, but I know that providing them with three meals a day, time to play card and board games together, and book time is certainly time well spent and gives them the freedom to pursue their own interests as well.
While it has been trying, it has also brought us closer together as everyone pulled together. I’ll be looking forward to things returning to normal, but not without looking back on this time with a deep sense of gratitude.