How have you been coping with the isolation of the coronavirus pandemic?  Some of you are out and about – a lot more than I would feel comfortable with.  And some of you are isolating even more than I am.

So far, thanks to the beautiful weather, Tom and I have been able to do lots of things.  We take walks and ride the tandem.  We work outside on projects for ourselves, for John and Jackie, and for my parents.  We consider them to be our isolation bubble, and they are the only people we eat with indoors at all.  In fact, for my birthday, we went to a restaurant and ate on the patio for only the third time since March.  Soon it will be too cold to do that anymore.

Usually, during our time in Ohio in November and December, we are running around trying to see all our friends.  We are planning big Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings with family.  Not this year.  After much discussion with family, Tom and I will just have Thanksgiving with Mom and Dad and John and Jackie.  All of us are doing our best to protect Mom and Dad, whether they want it or not.  So Julia and Mike will have Thanksgiving with Jared and Alexandria.  And Steve and Kathy will have Thanksgiving with their four children.  Christmas will probably be the same.  I’m a little depressed about it but we all are coping as best we can.

But there are so many times every day when Tom and I have to decide if something is safe.  Tom goes into Home Depot but won’t go in any other store unless he absolutely has to.  I feel safe in stores because they have mask mandates and hand sanitizer everywhere, but I don’t feel safe going to church or the movies.  We avoid crowds.  If a parking lot is full we just don’t go in.  We head places during the week when there will be fewer folks.  I actually got Tom to agree to do a little shopping with me in Uptown Westerville on Monday.  But most of the stores are closed on Monday, so we only window shopped.

We have been able to get together with a few friends and do things outside.  But, now that it will be cold again, is it safe to have people over for a game night?  If everyone wears masks?  If you take everyone’s temperature first?  We have some friends that invited us to go camping with them for the weekend.  We would love to do that, but have to judge our comfort level first.

So many decisions to make, so many judgments.  Is their behavior safe?  Are they endangering me or my parents?  Is this an unnecessary risk?

We are glad that we have John and Jackie and Mom and Dad close by because we would be very lonely otherwise.  I’m sure some of you are struggling with that loneliness.  Has coping gotten harder or easier as the months have gone on?  What are the riskiest activities you are willing to take?

I’ll be glad when there is a vaccine and we can return to some semblance of normalcy.  In the meantime, we are coping and doing the best we can.  Enjoying the blessings of each day.