Day 5 - In Which We Discuss Fear and Peace, Funeral Homes and Swords

So yesterday was Linda's actual birthday, but it was pretty busy between both of us working online, keeping the kids entertained (including Sierra going online with her middle school teachers and students for some fun learning activities ) and cooking, we never got around to making her a cake. Still, there's tons of cake going stale from Saturday on the porch. :)

I've still been in somewhat of a dark place still, that undercurrent of concern for the family, and not connecting with God enough. Linda and I started praying more together, and she found a VERY appropriate verse we should all read, every day of this current crisis: Psalm 91. Read the whole thing. It's encouraging.

Because DCF offices are closed except for extreme emergencies, we arranged Wednesday for Romy to have a parental visit online. He doesn't have the attention span for a long video call, so he's having another one as I type this right now. After all, they're apart from their kids and now are forced by circumstances not to see him so we're trying to help out as much as possible.

Marriott is closing most of their hotels (no ones using them), so daughter Audrey is temporarily out of a job. Now she's dealing with school loans (they're suppose to forgive payments while this goes on), and rent and all that fun stuff. Amanda is up in Maine but has been nannying for extra money and this is what's keeping them afloat. Andrew, like me, can work from his apartment in NYC.

Wednesday night my sister Ellie and her wife arranged for all of us siblings to video chat with our Mom and Dad - the software brings up the picture of who's speaking, and this is a family of talkers, so it was dizzying but wonderful. Mom is 87 and Dad is turning 92 soon so best they stay with video visits for the time being.

So many corners of Life as we knew it have had to adjust in ways we'd never anticipated (whether we should have is not a question worth pondering right now so let's not). Kudos to my cousins Kevin and Janet, who run the Edward J Sullivan Funeral Home in Burlington who discuss in this article what they're doing amid all this virus situation. The towns around us have all ordered playgrounds closed, and now California has gone one step closer to declaring Marshal Law and forcing everyone to stay home.

Scary, but we need to remember to keep looking up. Keep connecting not only with each other but also God. If you're not a God-person, give it a try. Most often the reason we don't are the Christians we've encountered in our life. If you're a Christian, this is the time not to stand on a box in the middle of the city and cry The End is Nigh, but to love people unconditionally as Jesus demanded we do. Not always easy, but remember to try. I'm trying, not succeeding, but the more I lean in to the Lord the more His peace will begin to overpower the fear.

Might not hurt to sharpen up my samurai swords , too. :)

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