The Unexpected

Guest Author, Martha Leonard

My story during the Pandemic, is not unusual to anyone else’s but I feel that in my story some people may find a light. 

On February 23, 2020 I lost my best friend...my mom. I’m still living with the fact that the person I could always talk to and that would always look out for me is no longer here. It changed me forever. So I dove into house work and real work. But it didn’t help I was just moving through time without knowing what was going on. 

Then COVID-19 hit like a ton of bricks. I thought it was an overreaction to something that had nothing to do with the USA until the death count began. People in their 40s, 20, 60s; it had no discrimination. I lost 31 people in the month of March and way too soon after losing my mom. I was numb could not react. Then my anxiety set in because I work at a shelter and I had to continue working in order to sustain my family. But my mental health was not good at all. I started to worry about my kids and literally quarantined them without hesitation. I went to get my daughter from college because having them all back home kept me from losing my mind. But it was weird. I had to come home each day, put my clothes in the dryer jump in the shower just to greet my youngest daughter with a hug and a kiss. But eventually it became routine, even at work. Not knowing where my clients were going day to day, I kept myself isolated on my job and overall sanitized, thinking I can’t bring anything home.  I can't be the cause of something happening to my kids.

Then we realized that school will not resume again so Prom, graduation was not happening as normal. Now what?? My second oldest had worked so hard to get to this year. We had bought dress and shoes, we had plans and now there was nothing. I felt like my child went and got married at the Justice of the Peace and I never got a chance to see her walk down the aisle or anything. So what do I do? What I always do... I come up with another way to celebrate because I don’t want my girl's disappointments. So I gave her a prom photo shoot, invited everyone and I threw her a prom party in the backyard to still be able to social distance but also enjoy herself and her family. She wasn’t sure it was going to work out or even be fun, but I can say my girl is super happy and had the experience, if not better than what she could wish for in these times. 

I just pray we don’t lose any more lives and that hopefully we can get this presidential administration out and a new one in because otherwise we have worse days ahead.

In the meantime I still continue to hold God first and do all I can to survive and prepare my kids for the unexpected.