| Friday, June 10, 2020 NORMAL IS CHANGING Facebook post |
 Hi Friends, I guess you have been wondering what happened to me. I haven’t been active in months, but I want you to know I have thought about you often. Sometimes life takes a deep dive. I have been struggling with an infection after foot surgery resulting in multiple surgeries, a wound vac to promote healing, and non-weight bearing bedrest, and confinement. It’s been one of those seasons where I knew I wasn’t feeling well for months but didn’t know how bad I was feeling until I actually started feeling better.Today I finished a six-week course of IV antibiotics after a seven-day hospital stay with surgery, positive blood cultures, and wound cultures, feeling very ill. I praise my Heavenly Father for healing and being my sanctuary in this roller-coaster ordeal. The wound is healing and no sign of infection. I also joined my neighbors, city, state, nation, and the world in the war against Covid-19. Like you, I never thought I would see a pandemic affect the world so harshly. Innocent lives changed forever; loved ones pass away alone, without family to hold their hand or whisper goodbye. Our leaders tell us to quarantine in our homes and to not venture out except for medicine or groceries. And to get tested if you have any symptoms. “Be Safe, Stay at Home.” In a matter of days, our lives became a combination of chaos and panic. Our nation shut down. Panic buying emptied store shelves. Toilet paper cannot be found and Lysol disappeared. Time is measured in fourteen-day increments. The president, the governor, and the mayor informed us of updates and educated us on how to be safe with daily news briefs. We are at war with an enemy we can’t see and don’t know except what we learn day by day. Numbers climbed rapidly, punctuated with news reports; both the number of confirmed cases and deaths. My fears wondered about how a novel coronavirus would affect my life. “Stop the spread.” and “Flatten the curve.” became this war’s battle cry. Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, work with dwindling supplies of PPE and ventilators. They are on the frontline, reluctant war heroes; passing on new information and observations to the next shift. They tirelessly sacrifice themselves to save lives, hold a patient’s hand, or comfort a family. Many stay away from their own families and loved ones—the only way they can protect them. The frontline is dangerous. Essential workers are heroes too. From garbage collectors to store clerks, bus drivers, and truckers, they keep our essential stores, cities, and the nation supplied and cleaned. “Wash your hands frequently for twenty seconds.” Going to my doctor’s appointment every week, the city reminds me of driving on Christmas morning. No traffic and business are closed. What a change in just a few weeks. Businesses close and the stock market crumbled. Jobs, secure one day are gone the next. Suddenly, long lines appear at food banks; boxes of food run out before the last car goes through. Schools suddenly close. Many dependent on lunch and breakfast as the only meals they get all day. School cafeteria workers prepare lunches and snacks delivered to more cars waiting in line. Restaurants convert to pick up or delivery only, but it’s not enough for some. “Maintain social distancing.” No shaking hands. No hugs. Six feet is a distance to keep normal conversation droplets away. Or is it? Playgrounds close, slides, jungle gyms, and swings roped off, leaving parents without an outlet to take children to run off penned up energy. Chaos invades the normalcy of homes as parents adjust to be both teachers and work from home employees. No playing with neighborhood friends. No, hide and seek or touch football. Speaking about football reminds me, no sports, concerts, or gatherings greater than ten. “Wear a mask when you must go out in public.” Churches close forcing weekly worship services to go online. Social distancing becomes social isolation until we learn to make phone calls, video calls, zoom meetings, and use social media to maintain our social network. Although the church buildings are closed the church is active. Acts of kindness and compassion demonstrate day after day how open hearts listen to the call of Jesus to love others as He loves you. Sharing food and planting gardens; scraps of material transformed into masks to bridge the shortage and protect others from the unseen; business skills are used to bridge the hungry and restaurant employees, benefiting both. Three-D printers in homes and businesses manufacture headbands for face shields to protect the front line and stars sing and dance together to raise money in virtual concerts entertaining the public watching from home confinement. Some of us pray and praise, lifting our community up to God and wait for answers. I see God working through others in this chaotic period, warming my heart. We are the hands and feet of Jesus—feeling the joy of love in action. I know He is using me, too. Each time I share words of encouragement with someone He has put in my path. For a short time, I feel joy. “We will get through this together.” Yes, we are in the process of re-opening. New questions consume my mind. Isn’t it too soon? What about the active cases? Will it ever be safe for me to be out in public again? Why are so many tossing aside safeguards like wearing a mask? Do they understand the danger they bring to the community? Do they care? You can have the virus and not display symptoms; true, but widely ignored. Covid-19 is spread through respiratory droplets which can remain in the air for up to eight minutes. True, Covid is just waiting around for you to walk into an unseen cloud of possible death. “Stop the Spread. Flatten the Curve.” The spread of this virus cannot stop unless every individual does their part. The curve can’t flatten unless we work together. Isolation from what we call normal isn’t easy, but it is necessary. Confinement, loss of jobs, unable to pay bills, or buy food are added stress. When worry surpasses boredom and individuals seek answers we aren’t equipped to answer—anxiety increases. I understand your fears because I have many of them myself. Returning to normal isn’t possible until the number is zero and a successful vaccine is administered. Normal will be redefined as we find correct answers. “Together” We want this chaos to stop. Meanwhile, each of us must make the little sacrifices asked of us for the common good of all. That’s why we sacrifice activities with family and friends by staying at home. Every one of us longs for the same thing but our responsibility is to protect each other. Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer when you can’t. This sacrifice of snippets of time protects you and those you love. Simple steps to remain with us even in the future. Can you make the sacrifice of inconvenience by wearing a mask when in the public? Yes, they can be uncomfortable and for some difficult to feel you can breathe. It shows you care. A mask is stating to everyone, “I care about you by protecting you from my germs.” A mask may not protect you but it can reduce your exposure. The benefit could be having a lighter illness instead of one with weeks in the hospital. Jesus taught to love your neighbor as yourself. Old, young, or in between this is something we can all do. Love in action requires a sacrifice. When we work together to stop Covid-19 we can make little sacrifices and reap rewards of everyone able to gather together again. I know many in our community are willing to throw caution into the wind just to have a party with friends they haven’t seen in months. I want to be with my friends, too. Now, is not the time. The risk of exposure to the virus and then passing it to someone else is too great. Oklahoma is now in phase three of re-opening and this week reported cases show a rise. These are most likely from Memorial Day. I fear the next few weeks will continue to rise with exposure from protests and demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd. We are all in this together and our community needs each of us to love others just like we love our friends and ourselves. When that happens, we will all celebrate. We are fighting two wars at the same time, both with invisible enemies. One is a virus only a few months old and the other is racism and hate which have been around for hundreds of years. Both can be deadly. I am looking forward to seeing you at church or in a grocery store aisle knowing we fought these wars together sometime in the future. For me, Covid will keep me at home until it is safe for a high-risk gal to join the public again. But now I am feeling better and energy is returning. You will see more of me here, through emails and on Facebook. Please leave comments I would love to hear from you. Be safe! |
