Social Distancing Since 2018

My Facebook feed is full of conflicting opinions and actions: some people are carrying on like normal and “refusing to live in fear” while others are taking active measures to protect themselves and self-quarantining. Some people I know are posting pictures from road trips, theaters, etc. Others are hunkered down and showing pictures of game nights in with the family or proudly displaying their hand sanitizer and toilet paper (and beer – ha ha) stores. Questionable health advice is everywhere.

Except for Greg, who works for LabCorp and is part of the wave of professionals actively working to test for and stop COVID-19, we are embracing the quarantine. My mom wanted to visit, and I had to tell her no. (Sorry, Mom.) Greg’s mom is in Scottsdale right now and will be for the next week, but she’s not traveling the 20 minutes to our house to visit just in case. If you and your family enjoy robust health and are still able to move through your communities lightheartedly, I envy you. We are not. After everything Tate has gone through to survive, nothing in my brain or heart will allow for us not doing everything we can to help protect him from this pandemic. For him and others already fighting serious illness, it truly could be life or death.

Our next door neighbor has offered to run any errands I might need done, and I warned her I’m going to take her up on it at the end of the week. I am not a great planner and positive we will need something.

During a time when no one is visiting us, admittedly at our request, I’d like to share a few pictures from less frightening days in December when Tate got two unexpected visitors.

My friend since 5th grade Jennifer stopped by with her mom and their horses! It was really fun. They also brought us fresh eggs and oranges which were greatly appreciated and eaten right away. Tate was feeling lousy that day, and seeing the horses really cheered him up. Jennifer’s horse Rain was so calm even though the neighborhood kids were zooming back and forth on their scooters to get a good look, and Tate walked up making a ton of noise dragging his feet (that’s just what his walking sounds like right now) and clicking his cane on the sidewalk.

Brian Simmons showing up at our front door on New Year’s Eve was a HUGE surprise since he lives in Japan. He and his sweet family used to live across the cul-de-sac from us, and we have missed them very much since they moved five years ago. Brian couldn’t believe how tall Tate has gotten since they last saw each other.

I hope you’re all taking good care of yourselves and people around you as we are trying to do here. I have looked forward to the day we can walk out our front door without worrying about every little thing getting to Tate, but we’re not there yet. I know that is a somewhat selfish perspective on a worldwide health scare. I also recognize the best I can do to help combat the spread of the disease is to focus my energy where it is needed most, which is in our home.

My deepest appreciation goes out to the doctors, nurses, first responders, laboratory employees, and scientists on the front line fighting COVID-19! And also to medical professionals showing up for work to care for patients suffering from pre-existing ailments. There are a lot of people out there in fields unrelated to healthcare – grocery, delivery, gas station employees to name a few – that are working to make sure we have the things we need, and they’re heroes too.