Blessed Are We Who Can WFH
I worked from home today. I won’t belabor the details of working from home with two boys doing schoolwork. Suffice it to say we all survived and will live to fight another day. I recognize how blessed I am to have a job where I can continue to work and earn money while making sure my boys are safe. My great fortune to have started this new role 8 weeks ago is also not lost on me.
I am still a bit overwhelmed with work, mostly because the first 3 months at any new job is overwhelming. Throw in pandemic response planning and it’s no wonder I’m feeling a bit droopy. I have so much to do, with so many areas that need my attention. But I’m certainly not complaining because being stuck at home without something to do would be maddening. Honestly, I’m so busy right now I barely have time to consider the gravity of our current circumstances.
I know I’m beyond lucky, but so many of the people I care about are not so fortunate. My many friends who are hair stylist will be shut down tomorrow at 5pm. My friends in food service are scrambling to modify to carry-out service and anticipating food losses. With all bars closed, my brother will home instead of serving up drinks at Rosie’s.
As I’m staring down the nose of many days at home, I’m reminded of all the days where we I felt overwhelmed with obligations—work, ball practice, church, errands. I’m pretty sure the reason I fill my life with so many activities is because it keeps me from pausing long enough to think about my mortality. Nothing brings that to a screeching halt like self quarantining in a pandemic. With constant reminders of how fragile life is, I can’t imagine how I’d feel without hours of work to occupy my mind.
Maybe that’s the lesson in this tragedy, or one of them anyway. Time is finite. You never know when you’re going to be stopped in your tracks and sent home to wait for the worst, while hoping for the best.
