“As someone who has battled lupus for the past 16 years and remains on numerous immune-suppressing medications, I urge you to stay home. We know what it feels like to get sick because of someone else’s lack of concern or ignorance. My husband doesn’t want to raise our family alone.”
“In my 20-something years of teaching, this has been the hardest time of my career. We’re cleaning every surface of our classroom, desks, pencils, markers, light switches, and sinks 5 times a day. We’re learning new technology at a moment’s notice as our schools shut down and then turning around and teaching it to our students and their parents. We’re on the front lines.”
“Routine is something we thrive on in our house. It stays the same every day, down to what my little boy eats, the shape his sandwiches are cut into, and the song we sing at bedtime. Routine is the one thing he could control. With that one text message, everything changed for him.”
“Hoarding it under the sink does nothing. And guess what? Cleaning turns panic into productivity.”
“My husband jumped up, immediately opening the door. But just as fast as my husband acted, so did my son. He ran away, swallowing what appeared to be a nickel. In a split second, our night changed. He was crying, screaming, ‘Quarter, momma!’ He then begins to gag and vomit intermittently, telling me it has not passed through his throat. It has felt like a lifetime without his hugs, kisses, and hearing his sweet voice.”
“I went to the grocery store this afternoon. As I was walking in, I heard a woman yell to me from her car. ‘We’re afraid to go in the store. We don’t have any family to help us.’ In tears, she handed me a $100 bill and a grocery list, and asked if I would be willing to buy her groceries.”
“I’m trying not to f-ing panic. I’m trying not to worry about vigilant 20-second hand washing, the lack of canned beans I have in the pantry, and especially the fact I only have 5 rolls of TP left in thehouse. My husband—the level-headed, responsible person, who would know just when to panic—isn’t here anymore. I’m the only one left.”
“Will I panic? No. But I’ll wash my hands. I’ll limit my running around town. And I’ll leave you some toilet paper on the shelf. If it affects you, Humankind, it affects me. I’m sorry for making myself bigger than you.”
“Recently, my daughter has experienced bullying at school. The people who have been unkind to her likely have no idea what we’ve been through the last 2 years. They just see a target and go after her relentlessly. This body has carried me through hell and back.”
“Kids are not going back to school like they did for fall break. If we rewind to November, none of this was remotely close to being on our radars. Isn’t it crazy how it all changes in the blink of an eye? Just as we plan for the flu yearly, we should prepare for Coronoavirus in the same manner. This does not mean doomsday prepping. Prepping is a community affair.”
