Uncertain Times
How my family survived three months in lockdown.
In March 2020, everyone’s life, as we know it, changed for all of us. The COVID-19 pandemic was affecting many people in New York state, and soon became the epicenter, with approximately over 25,500 deaths confirmed as of August 2020 according to the CDC. As expected, the city of Philadelphia and surroundings neighborhoods were also affected by the pandemic, and a lockdown was in place on March 13, 2020.
For the next three months our lives changed completely, it was a pivotal moment for me and my family. During the lockdown, we faced all sort of challenges, my two children Arianna and Kyle began virtual classes, I started working-from-home (WFH), and my husband Dan continued going to work as usual.
Arianna was a senior in high school, and as expected she missed many milestones; senior prom, senior week, graduation walk and her graduation party. But most of all, she was having a very hard time coping with staying home, and the stress of not knowing where she was going to college in the fall.
When the lockdown began, she had a mental breakdown, it was too much for her to handle. Days and nights were all the same; fear, anxiety and uncertainty were all part of the journey of staying home. To make matters worse, she was dealing with the college acceptance process. She had worked very hard during the application process, and it paid off. She was accepted to five colleges, but by the time the pandemic hit, she was already burnt out.
Writing was instrumental for her recovery. We also got professional help to help her cope with stress and anxiety. So far, biweekly therapies with a Psychologist are working. Talking about her struggles has helped her feel better. In the middle of all this chaos, something good happened though, she was accepted to her number one college of choice, the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She was happy she got in!
I also wasn’t okay. I had a very demanding job at a Big 4, a top-tier public accounting firm, and I wasn’t coping well with WFH. I was working long hours and neither I slept well, nor I spent quality time with my family. I was not resting. The demands of being a mother, a wife and a full-time employee were pushing my limits. I was burnt out by the end of May.
Dan’s work life wasn’t really affected by the pandemic, the company he works for sells medical supplies to hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. As such, his job was considered essential.
On a normal day, I spent half of the time in Zoom meetings with staff, clients and upper management. In between meetings, I helped my son Kyle with virtual classes/homeschooling. After Dan got home from work, he would review Kyle’s school work and helped him with any homework. At night, I was finishing work that I had not time to complete during the day due to the increase in Zoom meetings. The job needed to get done no matter what, it was exhausting.
As I am writing this blog, I am getting mentally ready for round two of homeschooling. But this time I am not working, my job was affected by the pandemic, and other factors. After assessing my options, I decided to leave the workforce temporarily to homeschool my son during this period of uncertainty. Mothers sometimes have to sacrifice their careers to raise their children. I didn’t sign up for this, but here I am. I am hoping everything returns back to normal soon, so we can all continue doing things we love; watch a good movie, have our favorite meal at our favorite restaurant, and hug our friends without any fear of getting sick.
What do you miss the most during these uncertain times?
College Move-in Date During the Pandemic.
The Tisch School of the Arts at New York University - September 1, 2020.