The pandemic brought out some of the best in people creatively working around social distancing to still keep business going. I work in healthcare, that's no secret. More so, I work in a busy city hospital. While I do not provide bedside care I am on patient floors and in patient common areas frequently. To say any healthcare worker is in a position to be exposed to Covid19 is a safe statement. So I learned, along with the rest of the world, to exchange information by phone, email, and even video calls when in person meetings would be the norm. Teachers taught all grades via video calls. Job interviews were conducted via video links. In person conference room discussions were discussed via conference calls. Telemedicine became even more popular, with patients receiving treatment from providers via secure patient portals with video call capability. And many, many more adjustments I haven't thought to list occurred.
While many times technological issues plagued these meetings, from lag time, to slow internet connections, to subpar equipment because homes weren't set up to be corporate offices, business continued in a modified business as usual fashion. It impresses me so much to see the adjustments and back-up-and-punts that have been put into place to try to keep life going and some semblance of normal during this truly tumultuous and scary time.
While I did not participate in many video calls myself over the last year or so my daughter and many other students just like her spent her year in her bed with a laptop trying to take her classes in a format never attempted before on such a large scale. She would send me snaps from her day sometimes. It amazed me all these students managed to muddle through these classes in a format totally foreign to many.
I imagine many students had the same type
of set up ours did. Rico liked math class.
He joined her every day for it.
Jax was more of a science type student.
Parent Teacher conferences were held by phone. Other discussion about grades and progress were conducted via emails. My husband is an artist. Consultations for commissions with customers were (and are still mostly) conducted via Facebook Messenger, email, text, and phone. When customers' painting were complete they were either shipped to their homes or picked up and all present wore face masks.
This is what I like to think I look like on all of the very few video calls I have been a part of. I think I look pulled together and fresh and ready to talk.
This is what I fear I usually look like... A little tired eyed, double chin shining, frowny face because I am concentrating on getting the darn thing to work properly. Also because I never can figure out if I am on mute or not. So confusing. And frustrating.
My parents are both over seventy. They are particularly vulnerable to this virus. I simply could not allow myself to risk exposing them to Covid19 if it was at all possible. So... Christmas? Christmas looked like this:
It hurt my heart to not hug them but I just knew if I accidentally exposed them to the virus and could have prevented that I would never forgive myself. Also my mom began texting more and we have been able to send her pictures. That has helped. My dad began texting more as well, although he is not a multimedia recipient. We email him any pictures we want him to see.
My parents have been married fifty years this month. Celebrations in the time of Covid also look very different. My sisters and I held a very small gathering for just us and our children and spouses. My husband and I were fully vaccinated by that time. My dad as well. I hugged my parents for the first time in over a year. That made my heart happy. I kept apologizing to mom, telling her I just couldn't risk exposing them. She just smiled in her peaceful, kind momma way and said, "Honey it's ok." Sometimes you just need to hear your momma say it's ok.
In what ways has your life changed during this pandemic? What adjustments have you made? What creative work arounds were helpful for you? What did you not like? I am curious how others coped. Please share away! Maybe we can all help each other!
Be well, y'all.