“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.”
‘I read somewhere a baby boom is expected. A baby boom? How are y’all having sex with all of these kids around all day?’: Mom shares candid reality of first days of coronavirus pandemic
‘She didn’t want to talk about it or deal with it. Mix teen hormones in and you have a recipe for disaster.’: Widow celebrates daughter’s strength after husband’s passing, gets wink from heaven
“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.”
‘My job is affected. I’m worried for my husband who is a paramedic. I have a right to be angry, confused, scared, hopeful.’: During coronavirus pandemic, woman urges ‘be compassionate, stand together’
“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 found a handwritten note in our mailbox that said, ‘Please tell me anything you need, and I will pick it up for you.’ I heaved a sigh of relief.’: Woman says ‘the angels among us reassured me the world is still a good place to be’
“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.”
‘If you look at the back of my car right now it looks like I’m overly prepared, but this stuff isn’t for me.’: Woman starts supply drive for elderly during coronavirus outbreak, ‘We can’t all do everything, but each of us can do something’
“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 watched him bury his head in his hands and sob. ‘I’m not going anywhere, I need you. The kids need us.’ He grabbed my face. ‘We are going to make it.’: After losing daughter to flu woman says ‘I only thought I loved him before’
“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.”
Dear Society: We Need To Stop Passing So Much Judgement Onto Mothers
“When a mother says she needs help, that’s exactly what she meant. She is not saying she is incapable.”
‘To the woman who cannot afford to stock up on essentials for her baby right now, you are still a good mother.’: Woman pens note to mothers struggling through coronavirus pandemic
“To the woman who has to wait until pay day to pick up six bottles of hand sanitizer. To the woman who is full of fear for her children’s school being cancelled because there is no Plan B for childcare. To the woman who is crippled with anxiety because she doesn’t have the mental capacity to homeschool right now, you are still a good mother. And a virus cannot (and will not) change that.”
‘I’m not sick. Why should I stay at home?’ As a mom of 4 in her second trimester, I plead with you, wash your hands. My husband doesn’t want to raise our family alone.’: Mom of 4 diagnosed with lupus begs people to stay home
“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.”
‘We’re reminding children 57 times a day to wash their hands. We’re gathering lesson plans for a month. We’re on the front lines.’: Teacher reminds us ‘give the teachers in your life a little extra love’ during coronavirus outbreak
“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.”