Since I homeschool and my husband works from home, you might think a two week quarantine is no big deal for me. Well, six days in and I’m going CRAZY!!! It’s not an issue of being at home. Life day to day hasn’t changed that drastically for me. I’m still busy homeschooling like I normally do. Mixed with some laundry and cooking like always.

What’s driving me crazy right now is what is happening outside my home. Every single event is being canceled and the economy is tanking. I got an email from a church today that is canceling services all the way through April. Another email told me that my kids’ drama show they’ve been working on all school year and scheduled for the end of April will be postponed to who knows when. My good friend’s daughter who is a senior in high school posted on Facebook what a hard ending this is to her school days. It’s quite likely she will have no prom or graduation. Jimmy Fallon called the current situation bizarre as he attempted to bring us laughs from his home last night. I agree.

Please remind me why our country is doing all this?! I have heard that we are trying to protect people. The elderly especially. I have heard that it is an act of love. Sounds reasonable except I looked on the CDC website today and discovered that 39,676 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2018 in our country and yet no one is telling us we can’t drive. 815,009 people died in motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. in the 20 years worth of data CDC provided. Why can we risk lives on the road every single day but not in a church service tonight? I am so confused!!! And going crazy!!! Until….

I read the New York Times article “Worst-Case Estimates for U.S. Coronavirus Deaths.” It brought a new perspective, especially towards the end when the author contrasts how Philadelphia and St. Louis responded to the Spanish flu of 1918. I was encouraged to see that closing down everything really has made a positive impact in the past.

Shortly after reading the article I was further calmed at karate. Like pretty much everything else, our karate school has had to come to a screeching halt and stop classes. However, the head instructor has been very proactive in utilizing Zoom and adapting classes so that students can continue to feel somewhat in a normal routine and continue practicing martial arts at home. Today was the first time to run the online classes. Our family was able to go to the school to help create a very small class for those at home to watch. Though there were only nine people total in the building, much, much less than usual, it felt so good to be back in a familiar setting and connecting with people and doing something we love. I am so thankful our instructor is investing so much time and energy into connecting our community while we are separated. God designed us for community, not for isolation. I am being reminded of that a lot the last few days.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the humor that is coming through on the internet from others equally as quarantined as me. Another shout out to Jimmy Fallon! He made me laugh last night in his first The Tonight Show: At Home Edition. I loved it! Hope you enjoy as well!

What has helped you not go crazy during these strange times?