Corona Virus Quarantine Day # 34: Gaga the Guest Writer: April 22, 2020

Corona Virus Quarantine Day #34: April 22, 2020: Gaga the Guest writer

Tonight my guest writer is none other than Gaga the Great…

I have a love/hate relationship with the corona virus! The people who are sick, dying or afraid of the above is so sad. The people out of work, especially the ones I know personally who are struggling to pay rent and bills is heart breaking. Being stuck at home with no trips to the store, no water aerobics classes, dinners with my aqua friends and no movies with treats is irritating but so unworthy of complaint compared to what some are going through.

Being “stuck” at home 24/7 with my daughter, son-in-law and five of my 7 grandchildren is a continual gift to me. Watching them go through each day I feel like I’m living on “Little House on the Prairie”. They begin each day with a big breakfast. The kids get up and clean the dishes. Whoever’s turn it is starts emptying the extremely full dishwasher and then refilling it. This is all done without any complaining. Then they go upstairs brush their teeth, make their beds, dress and come down prepared for “home school”. They repeat this process for lunch and dinner. No arguing and no complaining! They “do school” with mom. Dad goes to work in his at home office. Fletcher the baby (5) gets to do school with me. I started teaching in a 1^st grade classroom many many years ago. Fletcher is a delight. He is so easy to trick him into work, getting him to think it is all his idea! He soaks up praise like a sponge. He is my buddy and I love watching him get smarter everyday. Nan, Bryan, the kids and our new puppy, Gigi go on long hikes almost everyday. They also play for hours in the gym we are lucky enough to have in our barn.

The amount of time they are working out, hiking, running, biking has to be the equivalent to a day working on the land in “Little House on the Prairie!” It’s not what they do, but how they do it all with so much love. It is truly a blessing to be a part of it all. There has been a lot of cooking with mom too! Both the girls and the boys really like cooking with Nancy. It is a lot messier, but Nancy’s having the time and patience to let them cook also reminds me of “Little House on the Prairie.” Often, if not for the corona virus we would all be running from one sporting event to the next. Frequently, separately as the kids would be playing different places at the same times. Nancy always packed up vegetables, fruit and healthy snacks every morning but that is a chore I am sure she doesn’t miss! Lots of meals out, which I for one miss, but we are all eating much healthier.

Watching them “watch” mass every Sunday on the computer, saying the rosary together with friends via zoom, drawing out the 12 stations of the cross and then going through them on Good Friday, seeing the excitement on their faces as they write letters to their friends and family. Seeing them experience the utter joy when they receive responses in the mail…playing endless games of Skip Bo and Rummikub (many times with Fiona) and seeing how happy she is when she wins. It is kind of like living in a dream world. These are not the “normal” experiences I would expect to see in 2020. If feels more like “Little House on the Prairie”, a much simpler time. I treasure being even a small part of their existence. I am so grateful. So I guess that is why I love, at least, the gift of time the corona virus has given me.

Love, Gaga

Mommy’s brief thoughts:

I enjoyed what my mom wrote above. I can speak briefly to the struggle this stay at home order is for our older generation. My mom is fiercely independent and loves her activities. I often joked that she had a more active social life than I did…and it was true. She has not left the house for nearly 2 months at this point because she got sick (non corona virus related) before this whole thing happened. Her “big” trip of the day is to our mailbox.

What she doesn’t do is explain what a challenge that is. When your basic freedoms are taken from you and there is no end in sight for her, that is a hard hill to climb. I feel for her so deeply. She is in that high risk category and they make people like her feel like their stay at home order is indefinite. I can’t relate to that but I know it’s been hard for her. So say some prayers for those in your life that are isolated, elderly, high risk or unable to get out for whatever reason…because they are living a struggle that most of us can’t relate to…I know I can’t. There is an end in this for me and it’s sooner than it is for Gaga.

These are simpler times and I’m with Gaga…I’m grateful for the gift of time…and she’s right I do NOT miss packing those coolers in any way! I know I’ve said repeatedly that I love all the extra time with our children but I have to say I am so thankful for this extra time with my mom too! She is one of my favorite people on the whole earth and someone I respect deeply and now I get to be “stuck” in our house all the time…and that’s pretty awesome.