Our family was still reeling from the cancer diagnosis of our beloved Papa Salmon. Every day we were struggling with our feelings. Derek was living in the cloud of grief I remember being in with my Dad’s diagnosis only months before. The kids didn’t want to go to school because they would cry or just didn’t want anyone to ask them about it/ignore it completely. I was praying to have the strength to be there for Derek and each of my kids, to support them and to support my in-laws. It was very intense. It was triggering my recent feelings of loss for my Dad too. Then our focus started to shift to world news.
There was more and more news everyday about Coronavirus which was also being called Covid-19. My brother and family had plans to fly to New York City for March break and their entire airline (Cathay Pacific) cancelled all flights. They rebooked through another airline but within a week it was becoming clear that travel was getting shutdown around the WORLD.
Heading into the week of Derek’s birthday (March 13), some strange behaviours were showing up on social media. I went to Costco on March 8 and noticed people rushing to the toilet paper and loading up with 3 or 4 of the large 30 packs which I thought was strange. I bought only one large pack like I normally would.
Later that day and the next on social media, there were videos and pictures of people in BC, shopping and running, or rather, racing to the back of the store for toilet paper! There were pictures of empty shelves in grocery stores. With weeks, pasta, rice, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes were no where to be found!
On March 12, news coming out of Alberta was that schools were getting shut down because of the virus. This got me feeling nervous so I kept the kids home on Derek’s birthday. That was their last day of school before spring break and now—possibly their last day of school for this year!
I do a prayer journal entry most days and my first mention of the virus was on March 14. That day, I wrote, that it had been confirmed in 175,000 people worldwide and would continue to rise in the next month or two.
On March 16, the first Monday of “Spring Break” I was started to get pretty anxious about the numbers. Alberta announced that they were closing schools until September! The next day the BC government announced the same and said all children would pass their grade and be passed on to the next grade fir September. The health campaign is to “flatten the curve” so that the healthcare system doesn’t get overwhelmed, which is what we were seeing happening in Milan Italy. Any gathering over 250 people has been cancelled. NHL, NBA, PGA, disc golf, athletic gyms, swimming pools—ALL SHUTDOWN! It was craziness. Some NBA players got the virus. Starbucks was only allowing drive through now!
I wrote in my journal, that they call it “Social Distancing”. No handshakes or hugs. Stay 1 metre apart. No more congregating. We actually led worship on the last Sunday we met as a church (March 15). I felt so nervous to be there. Less people came. The news was constantly advising people who are sick to stay home and self-isolate. I was trying to figure out what I was so fearful of: running out of food and money was what I could figure out. The kids and I went on a beautiful social-distance hike with my Mom that day. That would be the last time we visited with her in that way for a long time.
Diedre had two days of babysitting scheduled that week and I was so worried for her to go. I didn’t want her to get sick and pass it on to Derek’s parents. By Wednesday, my empathy for the dying (reported to be dying alone because there were so many cases all at once in Italy especially) and their loved ones not getting to be at their side or have a proper funeral, was breaking my heart. I was so down about this. The numbers as of March 18 were 3237 for China with 11 new deaths in 24 hours, and Italy had 475 new deaths to bring the total to 2978.
By Friday, youth group was officially cancelled for the teens. I was not going to let them go anyway so I was relieved.
By March 21, all non-essential stores were closed. Only grocery stores, pharmacies, take-out only for restaurants and cafes. Derek was working extra long days and I was feeling worn out from the anxiety and being home with the kids alone—even though they are pretty easy and just content to hang out at home. I was trying to surrender my stress to the Lord. I realized that in my normal life, I have anxiety that I’d learned to manage—throw in a cancer diagnosis and a worldwide pandemic and apparently it was too much for me. BC numbers were released and there had been 10 deaths in BC and 19 across Canada from the virus.
Monday, March 23 brought the closing of all playgrounds, basketball courts and sports fields. No more disc golf (we had gone almost every day the first week of Spring Break.
Anything where people would gather in groups. They lowered the number to 50 people or less and then down to 10 or less, and then to 5 (so people with big families were making lots of jokes about that one). That was also the first day of Chemo for Papa. We were told that he could no longer have any visitors. That was very sad news.
My prayer was to God to “please cover each Christian with Your light of the Holy Spirit, like little flames walking among people at the hospitals across the world, and caring for the dying, and please draw people to Your Kingdom—TODAY is The Day of salvation. And for us believers, please increase our faith—help us to trust wholly in You and not be tricked by the devil to focus on other things—please help me to lead my children to face this, face You, and let You give them comfort, strength, and joy.
John 11:40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
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