“There we were, crumpled on the side of the highway, weeping over a dying deer. She wanted so desperately to help ease the animal’s suffering as it struggled to breathe. ‘Oh, Mom,’ my daughter whispered. We prayed her suffering would not linger for long.”
“I watched her lips turn blue again. ‘Breathe baby girl. Please.’ We were force-feeding them to keep them alive. They poked Hazel over and over, trying to find a vein, finally landing on one in her head. I was horrified. ‘How in the world are we all going to survive this?’”
“‘Mom, you’re missing the point. Neither of you should be traveling. What if I already have it?'”
“My teenagers are having a hard time understanding this is not ‘vacation’ time. I am unprepared and scared to be a home-school mom. I tried to take a shower and my home went into utter chaos complete with instant conspiracy theories on my where-a-bouts. No one wanted their routines thrown out the window.”
“He wasn’t just her dad. That man was her best friend. He would have moved mountains for her. He did gymnastics with her. He let her put his very short hair in ponytails. He baked cupcakes with her, every Sunday night. And then one summer night, he died holding her hand. She woke up, crawled across the floor, pulled herself up to stand on shaky legs, and decided enough was enough.”
“Medical personnel will be asked to put their career before their or their families health, spouses of first responders wait for the call of quarantine, children who rely on schools will suffer, our elderly in nursing homes are at risk. Right now, at this moment, it’s happening. We all need to do our part.”
“I was trying to stock up on supplies because my husband and I fit many of the categories for this virus to be life-threatening: over 65–check, diabetes—check, lung issues—check, immune compromised—check. Our doctor told us, ‘You need to prepare to be home for 2 months.’ In the midst of all the anxieties and panic shopping, I learned a great deal about kindness.”
“When I saw images of our older folks struggling at grocery stores and meeting empty shelves, my heart absolutely broke. Some don’t have the technology to do their shopping online. Some can’t maneuver their walkers or motorized scooters through the crowds. Many don’t have the money to stock up on items. These are the people we are supposed to be protecting, and they’re falling through the cracks. I knew I had to do something.”
“I have heard that tragic events like this can break up a marriage. I was terrified that not only was I going to have to continue living this life without my daughter, but I was going to lose my best friend and the only person who could comfort me. He grabbed my face and whispered in my ear, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ I only thought I loved him before.”
“When a mother says she needs help, that’s exactly what she meant. She is not saying she is incapable.”
