“I haven’t kissed or hugged my husband who works on the frontlines as a nurse in weeks. Every night, I must reassure my 5-year-old that no, daddy’s not going to die. But when the lights go out, I worry about the same thing. There I was, instantly sobbing because someone decided to lash out on me for breathing air.”
“‘I love you, Daddy!’ she said. ‘I love you, too, Baby Girl!’ Then she said, ‘Don’t get coronavirus, Daddy!’ He paused. My heart fell into my stomach.”
“The teenager who’s frustrated and full of attitude? She’s lonely and misses her friends. Your spouse who’s been short tempered? He’s carrying worries he’s too afraid to communicate. The friend who forgot to call back? She’s overwhelmed and just doing the best she can to get by right now.”
“My husband is considered essential and is still able to work. Everyone at his job is basically walking on eggshells. It’s hard not to worry about him being exposed and bringing the virus home to us. There’s only so much distance you can put between yourself and another person in his line of work.”
“Date nights were our peace in the beautiful chaos of family life – our time, just you and me, together. Date nights reminded us our marriage was a priority, before being daddy and mommy. I miss the romance, break from the ordinary, and the routine too.”
“Scrolling through my feed, there’s another story. Phrases like ‘young’ and ‘picture of health’ are preceded by a date of death. My stomach drops to remind me that this photo was taken ‘just days before.’ I look at him and I see my husband, and the father of my children staring back at me.”
“Has anyone else noticed people are angry? Get back to work. Stay home. Wear a mask. Don’t wear a mask. Stay inside. Get out and breathe some fresh air. Don’t post happy photos, people are suffering. Maybe you want to post what you think without fear of your Facebook ‘friends’ blasting you.”
“Jay was a youth minister who had a church in my hometown. Everyone loved him. The only thing I heard was, ‘Don’t ever accuse me of anything ever again.’ I called the cops and grabbed my baseball bat. My shirt was soaked with my sweat and blood.”
“I waited and waited, but nothing. Simply because my mom’s boyfriend was going to be there. He didn’t respond to my text, so I called. No answer. The man who my mom would marry a year later, not only showed up, but he danced with me. That is a real dad. Someone who shows up.”
“We are divorced but have 50/50 custody. He’s an essential worker in our state prison that has the most cases of COVID-19. And, they’re all in his unit. Last week, he tested positive. 7 days later he was ‘released’ and sent back to work. I see the pain in his eyes every time we go to hang up.”
