How I’m Surviving the Shelter in Place Order

Thursday, March 12th. I check my work email to find a frantic email from one of my parents. He skipped right over the principal, and went straight to the superintendent. He let him know that his daughter will not be back to school for the rest of the year, and he begged him close down the schools and save lives. I thought it was all a little dramatic; I didn’t know what was coming.

The next day, Friday, March 13th, we teachers were instructed to send home work for students, and to go home at the end of the day, indefinitely.

I was still waking early in the morning. I was pushing my limits in the junk food department. I did, however, purchase a trampoline to counter all of those extra calories. I was taking long evening walks, to distract me from the news coverage. I felt ok. For a moment, the uncertainty got to me. I had a small crying spell in week one out of worry for my family in Texas, and wished I was with them.

I had to adjust to a new way of delivering work to students, and this new exchange of roles, where parents are responsible for making sure that students complete their school work. I am refraining from calling it home schooling.

I am currently ok with being at home. During the school year, I work and go home. However, I live for summers and I love to travel. I leave it ALL in the summer months. Quite frankly, I’ve been saving it all for the summer! The thought of a possible canceled summer breaks my heart, but the thought of going “back to normal” to quickly, scares me. When I’m scared, I’m not having fun.

My new normal consists of less junk food, more cooking at home, longer walks, personalizing my space at home, praying more, seeing the faces of old and new friends, and more positive thinking about the future. My goal is to continue, even when the world opens back up.

Sonya