I started a family email this week. It began on Monday with the heading “Day 1.” I’m losing count already and we’re only in the first week.
I am lucky in that my 2 of my siblings live fairly close by and my parents are still alive and in town. We’re not a super close knit family but we do have regular contact with each other and always reach out in times of joy or stress. It is most challenging for my folks right now because I can’t do my regular Saturday lunches with my mom or even just sit in their living room to watch garbage tv. My sister is stopping by just to bring the New York Times and provide a teensy diversion. Today my mom told my sister that tomorrow they are just going to go out for a drive, just to get out.
So the round robin letter is fun to read and includes notes about the current challenges about working remotely or supporting kids off from school, trying to stay healthy and connected to older loved ones and stimulated by more than screens.
Luckily our Pacific Northwest weather has been amazing this week – cold and windy at first but so sunny that the added daylight hours are awesome. I enjoyed a little walk today with my husband and passed by a couple of other lone walkers. We looked into each others eyes with new acknowledgement and compassion for just being out in the world today.
wake up and write 
March 18th, 2020 at 8:50 pm
The fact of being cut off from my family is really frustrating for me. It’s interesting to hear that, even though you live close-ish, this lockdown still gets in your way. I hadn’t thought about the “of course-ness” of that. (Grammarly is telling me that this comment is “gloomy.” I guess it is. I’ll try to be perkier next time!)