Coronatine 2020

I’m a writer by profession, but I enjoy writing in my spare time as well. I love expressing myself on my blog, but lately I’ve been so busy and haven’t found the time to write. Well…I’ve got nothing but time at the moment. Maybe you’ve stumbled upon this essay because you’ve found yourself with a whole lot of time as well. Welcome to the Great Coronavirus Quarantine of 2020, also known as the Coronatine. I’m writing this in an attempt to understand…well, pretty much everything. I am currently in a state of denial, anger, sadness, hysterics, and terror. I cannot be the only one feeling this way. So I’m asking for help. Much of the help I’m about to ask for will be an impossible request. However, knowing that I’m not alone will help profoundly. If you’re currently seeking the same type of help, please know that you’re not alone either. So here we go:
My son is a nine-year-old away from school “indefinitely,” Can someone please explain what “indefinitely” means? A few weeks, a few months…what, exactly? I know you can’t explain it to me because if you’re a parent, you’re likely grappling with the same question. Please help me dry my son’s tears as he asks for the millionth time if his friends can come over to play and I have to tell him no.
Currently, my son’s school has extended spring break an extra week. After that, it’s virtual learning where much of the time, I get to be a teacher. I stopped understanding his math lessons in first grade, so fourth grade math is going to be a bit of a challenge. Please help me get through this home-school adventure and I’ll help you get through yours. Share your frustration and struggles freely, please. If we can talk openly, maybe we won’t feel the need to smash our laptops to bits.
Please help me in thanking teachers. As we currently freak out about home-schooling our own children, let’s remember teachers have 20-40 (yes, some have 40!!) kids in a classroom per day. My son who claims to hate school is begging to go back. Thank you, teachers!
If you know Cesar Milan and where he’s quarantined, can you have him contact my dog via Skype? She seems to think the only reason we’re home all the time is to let her in and out of the house. This is NOT why we’re home.
Unresolved issues and anger with friends and loved ones currently mean nothing to me. Not when everyone in the world is trapped inside their homes. There are people I’d like to reach out to (by phone, of course) but I’m not sure my contact would be welcomed. Can you contact them for me and let them know they’re in my thoughts? I shouldn’t be afraid of doing it myself, but I am.
Please help me with suggestions on where to hide the snacks that are in my home.Or maybe we’ve eaten them all already. The days are blending together and I seem to be getting wider.
Based on what I’m reading on social media, the current motto for our country is “we’re all in this together.” If we’re all in this together, why do some people have more toilet paper than they’ll ever need and others are running low or have none? Can you explain the hypocrisy to me?
I’m worried I’ll lose my job. I’m worried the economy will never bounce back. I’m worried food supplies will get low. I’m worried about my husband and my son. I’m worried about people dying. If I bring up the economy in conversations, people seem to think I don’t care about the health of my family and others. Can you help me make them understand working is how I provide for my family? I’m stopping a virus by staying indoors. I’m also halting an economy by staying indoors. Both have consequences. Can you help me understand which is worse? At this point I’m not sure.
Please help me pray for doctors, nurses, any and all medical personnel. Pray for grocery store employees, CEOs, government officials. I will say a prayer for you and your family. Please pray for mine as well. I want to believe “we’re all in this together” and the best is yet to come. I’m just having trouble right now.
When the Coronatine is over, I look forward to the day we can all hang out again. I wish you all the best as you navigate this new world. Good luck with the toilet paper.

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