In about a month, the twins will be high school graduates and facing an uncertain future, as are all our graduates this year. Everyone asks me how they are handling the lack of pomp and circumstance; frankly, I think they are relieved. It’s mostly sad for the rest of us who spend 12 years supporting, pushing, cajoling and preparing them for the moment when their work culminates in that walk across a stage. I’ve explained to my son that the ceremony really isn’t for the kids – it’s for the parents and grandparents, the aunts and uncles. He is unmoved. He would much prefer to not don the cap and gown; not participate in the rite of passage.
It’s so strange to be living in this reality, where casual human behavior can literally result in death. Everything we expect to be able to do has been completely turned on its head.
Working has taken on another dimension, too. This is the first time in my entire working life that I have not met anyone I work with in person. It’s a bit weird, but we’ve managed to develop camaraderie over video, email and Slack.
I’ve gone from driving 300 – 500 miles every week to maybe driving 10 miles round trip to the grocery store. That, too, is weird. Saved a ton of money in gas!
There are trade-offs. Because we are not eating out, we are not commuting back and forth to work, we are going through massive amounts of groceries. Any savings we are recouping, we’re spending on the grocery bill. Everyone is eating at home and the boys are eating all day and all night. I wake up in the morning to dirty dishes in the sink and remnants on the counter tops.
All things considered, we are fortunate to be able to afford to pay for groceries and allow the kids to eat whenever they’re hungry. We’re lucky to be able to connect virtually. And no matter how strange, different or disappointing our day to day lives are right now, we’re still lucky to be alive and well.
Albeit inside.