I know that I had the virus. I know that I have high antibodies. Then why am I worried that my throat is hurting and my head is killing and I feel achy? Please tell me that it is not IT again. No one seems to know if they can get this COVID thing again. No one seems to know how long the antibodies stay in your body. In fact it seems as though no one seems to know anything.
What we know is that we have all been entrenched in a state of fear. Should we be going to the supermarket at all? We have friends who do not. I rarely go, but do with a mask. Is that really OK? Is it OK to eat in a plastic pod where in your very same seat, five minutes before you sat down someone else had been sitting there? Dr. A says one thing and Dr. B has a different take on this whole thing.
Who isn’t tired of life as it is? Babies are probably the best off at this point. They will never know any of this horror—although our 8-month-old great granddaughter just tested positive for the virus with the only symptom being a runny nose (they thought she had an ear infection). A family with four children under the age of 7 are stuck in their two-bedroom apartment with no intention of leaving and completely frustrated.
If all of this craziness is not enough, as I am writing this the City of Teaneck sent out a tornado warning suggesting that everyone go to the lowest level of their homes. Good thing we live in Bergenfield!
It just seems to me that the times we are living in are unprecedented. Today I heard Dr. Fauci say that it is very likely that when most of this calms down he thinks that people should still be wearing masks when they go into public places. Are you kidding me? I for one have no idea whom I am speaking with half of the time because I do not recognize people by their eyes. How many times have you walked away from someone after speaking with them and wondered who it was?
I allow myself to have this frustrating conversation with myself only for a short time. Then I try desperately to push my optimism button and start thinking about all of the good that still exists in the world despite the plague. I think about, with all of our challenges, the blessings we have. We have seen so much chesed. We have been smothered in love, concern and patience by our children. We are watching our grandchildren develop through the craziness of Zooming, quarantining, lack of socialization in the normal sense of the word, and becoming stronger and more resilient young people. Somehow they find a way, as we watch young friends visiting each other outside with distance between them.
We are looking forward to the birth of four new great grandchildren within the next six months. We are praying for all of our friends and family who have health challenges that make living today that much more complicated. We are thankful that our daughter Naama is in a safe environment where she is happy and secure. We cannot help but notice the beauty of the changing colors of the leaves. The ocean is still as magnificent as it always has been; many are being cured of diseases that years ago were considered death sentences.
We have to remind ourselves to open our eyes widely because the beauty is still there. So much good still abounds in the world. We might have to make more of an effort to see it when our days are challenged by the fears, rules and regulations that we are living by today, but it is there. We all have to make a concerted effort to see the good side of everything and not allow the darkness to take us down. It is not easy but I can assure you that if I can do it, you can as well.
By Nina Glick
