Notes from the (social) distance: Day 62; struggling and surviving



I haven't written in awhile. Honestly, it's been a hard stretch. I'm really struggling with the isolation and lack of physical connection with others (outside of my little family, which I am so grateful for). Some days are easier than others, but I've often been feeling depressed. It seems like I'm the only one who is feeling sad about all of this, but I think maybe others are feeling this way too?

I haven't been writing much poetry either, but here is a poem I wrote at writing group last week:

Broken branches

Broken branches are everywhere
like a hurricane has come through
leaving us stranded, in our homes,
the damage invisible.

They say we are still connected
but it’s wires and satellites.
No one can touch each other.
We can’t touch each other.

We are birds in a clear cage
flapping merrily through our days
until we fly into the glass- boom.
We have to grow quiet and small.

I am shrinking the scope of my efforts
from accomplish to survive.
No new growth, but smoothing
and soothing, protecting and healing.

I am becoming close to my body,
caring for her like a soft animal,
giving her rest and hot baths
and strong yarn in her hands.

And she is settling into my care.

-EAF


Otherwise, life continues and we are finding ways to brighten and fill the days. We've planted peas, marigolds and forget-me-nots, thanks to Great-Grandma and Grandma Judy.
Our first pea shoot.

And the girls and I have dyed our hair with semi-permanent hair dye. We each love how it looks.




And we've been making crafts.

Mine- how "together" feels right now.
Lucy's, with flower petals.
Clara's, with mini pencils.
I hope that you are finding peace and moments of joy in your days as well.

The light in me honors the light in you,
Elizabeth

Comments

  1. Sam and MomMay 15, 2020 at 12:46 AM

    I like your closing, E. The light in me likes have the light in you honor me. Oh, btw, someone resent the VIA character assessment to me because they have COVID-19 resources now... did you guys ever do that? There's a free survey, scientifically validated (there's also a youth version for 10-17 year olds). And it has 24 character strengths that we all have and indicates what your core strengths are. It's very affirming. Sam had taken it 4 years ago when I first did, so he retook it yesterday.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Notes from the (social) distance: Day 4

Image
Why I’m writing this: It’s strange, I’m an introvert and I always work from home, but this social distancing has been deeply unsettling. I feel trapped and cut off from the little social connections that make me feel part of a larger whole- commiserating with the coffee shop barista about the weather, smiling at people I pass in the street, chatting with parents at school pick-up. So I decided I would rebirth this old blog of mine and chronicle our life under social distance. I know that some people are struggling with much bigger and harder challenges, like keeping their families fed, or having to risk coronavirus exposure to keep working in essential services. Comparatively, my challenges are much smaller and less urgent. Still, I can only write what I know, and I hope that these entries will bring connection and comfort to those who are also feeling isolated. I imagine us like sailors stranded on different islands, sending messages to each other in bottles. I we...
Read more

Notes from the (social) distance: Day 8, Nest

Image
Family picture, by Clara We made it through the first week of our improvised homeschooling! Lucy has done most of her school work up in her bedroom, and seems to be enjoying having that privacy and independence. Clara does some downstairs with Matt and some with me in bed, since I’ve been resting a lot (still have the head cold). Today I got to help Clara work on a poem, inspired by a poem about having adventures through reading. The scenes she chose are all from books or stories she read this past week. On Monday I wrote a book about my dad and I On Tuesday I climbed on the roof and saw a bird go by On Wednesday I flew on my broom stick, I felt the wind on my face On Thursday I sailed across the sea, I saw a new place On Friday I was almost eaten but then I became a puppy On Saturday my house got smashed by a falling hot tubby How do you think I did all that? Well just look I read all those adventures in just a few books! -Clara Nest I kn...
Read more

Notes from the (social) distance: Day 5, bumps, colds, and beams of love

Image
First day Our first day of homeschooling went pretty great. We followed our schedule, and though there was some complaining, I think overall it helped us all to have a plan to stick to. The girls did the virtual learning assigned by their teachers, we went on a long family walk in the woods, and Matt and I each got the work done that we needed to. We ended the day watching the first half of “School of Rock” together, which we all really loved (who doesn’t love Jack Black??). Bumps There were a few unexpected bumps, as we worked out how we will follow social distancing in the context of family and friend relationships. I didn’t realize how tricky this can be. We live in a townhouse development, and in the afternoon we let our younger daughter play outside with a neighbor’s daughter, with the view that we consider this other family part of our family group. Another neighbor questioned whether this was a good idea, which was well meant, but sent me into a bit of a...
Read more