PandeME: Isolation, Dirty Dishes, and Potty Training
This week marks seven months since everything changed. The last day of school, our last night out. Cancelling all contact with the outside, isolated at home, hiding from a virus that is still walking rampant in our streets.
This pandemic has affected all of us, but in a different way in each case. As I have heard before, we are all in the same storm, not on the same boat though. Personally, I don´t know what has been harder between the lack of solo time or failing at my first attempts at homeschooling while also potty training.
How do you feel about these months and the ones to come?
Sometimes I want to put everything on hold indefinitely. Then I realize that is not me, I can´t keep for myself everything I have and want to give. I am still grieving our previous life and after going through the denial phase and feeling defeated for a while I constantly remind myself to be intentionally grateful and embrace all my roles instead of resisting them.
Thankfully we have stayed physically healthy and have somehow managed to stay emotionally and mentally healthy too. We have received multiple financial breaks. We have baked cookies and cupcakes in spite of the permanent pile of dirty dishes. We have celebrated birthdays and driven through safaris. I launched In Our Thirties, I have offered remote interviews, webinars, podcasts, worked remotely on a TV special, I started working out again now via Zoom, while keeping in touch and increasing social media contacts.
This is where I am right now. Thanks for meeting me here and for supporting me all the way.
I would love to know about you:
How has your life changed during this pandemic?
What could serve you?
How can I serve you?
Please let me know in the comments.
Here for you,
i
Comments
Hey Laura! You asked “how I’m handling everything” on Linkedin. Challenge accepted. Let me try to keep this quick and rated G. Come to think about it, it all began with me going through the five stages of grief, but I don’t have time to get into that right now, I’ll save that for my Netflix special.
The truth is…I just fucking go with it. I take it day by day, and I try to be easy on myself when I remember. Waking up before the toddler to steal a moment of silence helps me get my head in the game because he just does not shut the f*%^ up from the moment he opens his eyes (it’s okay though, I love it). I especially need this time on days where I feel hopeless about what is going on in the world.
My focus is my 3-year-old and work (“what I’m chopped liver over here?” says my 41-year-old, let’s ignore that). I did try to be that mom that limits the television and has a day filled with activities. I got over that pretty quick when I realized the entire world is in survival mode. We pretty much do what we can when we can. This might entail a day where the baby sits next to me wearing headphones, watching alphabet videos, or water coloring while I take phone calls and write scripts. If the day is anything like today we dance in the rain on the balcony. Either way, we are never wearing pants.
I still feel like I’m spinning plates sometimes. It’s been quite the journey. During these times I’ve used every single resource I have so I do not lose my shit. I know I’ve disappointed my old school mother by becoming best friends with my dishwasher (“¡Que gastadera de agua!”). I cooked every single meal for months until I was mentally able to serve my family take-out. While I try to keep a clean house it still looks like a hot, fucking mess.
The truth is I’m not sure how I’m “handling it.” I’m just grateful my son is so loving. I’m grateful my partner has slowly come to terms with my quirks. I’m grateful to have a network of friends where we can check in on one another and share internet memes, and of course, I could not be more grateful for my Spotify account. Without an unlimited resource of music to play the soundtrack of my day, I would be fucked.
I guess, in the end, it’s the little things that help us get by (plays Doogie Howser theme song).
My dear Lissette,
I can´t believe I missed your comment!
It´s evergreen (hopefully not!) so still 100% relevant and relatable!
Thank you for saying it as it is!
Kudos to you for doing the best you can, keeping everybody alive and healthy at home, especially yourself!
We are pandemic moms, Same boat, same storm. Keep rowing, my friend.
Thanks also for your support with testing info the other day.
Hope we get to work together soon.
Big hug to you and your men,
IO