SO much changed for me when COVID hit. I had been the type who loved to wander the aisles at stores. I met my friends on a regular basis. We hosted huge parties with everyone we know. I went to church every week, and activities with the congregation several times a month.
I was rarely home because I would drive my son to school and stay out doing errands until pickup. Then it was off to lessons and playing at the park and meeting friends. We were home for dinner, and that was about it. I was even active in a community choir. We were preparing for a big concert that was literally scheduled for two weeks after the COVID shut down.
My husband traveled for work every week. He was gone from Monday till Thursday almost 60% of the year. So, as you can imagine COVID turned everything on its head. Suddenly other people weren’t safe.
Modified COVID lockdown
Honestly, we couldn’t isolate like the CDC said to do. Instead, because there were lots of kids in the mix, we created a 3-house enclave. Our house, my neighbor next door, and the house two doors down isolated together.
We were already good friends. So, we agreed to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world but create a big family unit to allow the kids to play together. Between the three families, we had ten kids. It was unconventional. But we all stayed healthy!
I am so grateful to my friends who suggested this unconventional island. Our group saved my sanity. My child needed his friends and having life grind to a halt was a huge change. SOMETHING needed to stick around.
COVID has lasted so long that our lives have adapted to a new normal. It’s different than the lockdown normal. Sadly, several things never came back into my life. But overall, some of the changes have been major blessings.
Home school shift from traditional school
First, I started to home school my son. And for the first time, I realized what huge challenges he faced. I couldn’t keep his attention for more than 5 minutes. And he flat out refused to do some subjects completely.
So, on the advice of my therapist, I took him in for further testing. It was a long process but showed us he has ADHD along with high functioning Autism. I’m glad we did it because it changed how we home school.
Our diagnosing doctor opened my eyes to new learning styles. No longer are we fighting through our lessons. Now I know that he needs multi-modal learning. It’s harder on my end, but he is learning and much less stressed. And we are finding fun ways to reinforce concepts.
Church changed 100% after COVID hit
The second amazing thing COVID brought was a realization that even though we had been very active in our congregation; my son had no clue what had been taught. His learning struggles meant that the church had been too loud and distracting. He didn’t know anything!
We were blessed that our church was set up for a home-based and church-supported worship program. So, we started from the beginning teaching my son all the things he needs to know. He learned how to pray, and how to get answers. One of the most beautiful moments I cherish in my heart was witnessing that process.
Church meetings were held on Zoom. And it was great! When the church became ‘in person’ again, we talked to our Bishop, and with his permission, we are still doing home church.
My son is learning the things I always thought he was absorbing. Having church at home has been a huge blessing for my son. Without COVID I don’t know how long he would have gone without really learning about God.
Travel from 60% to Zero
As I mentioned earlier my husband traveled for his job. He was gone from Monday through Thursday at least 60% of the year. And it had been that way for over ten years.
He enjoyed the travel, but his absence wore on our family harmony. My son struggled to see my husband as an authority figure not only because of his Autism but because he was gone so much. And their relationship was distant at best.
When the lockdown came, many of my husband’s co-workers almost got trapped in other countries. So, his company has kept the travel to zero until very recently. And his current business trips are very short.
Family Strengthened
Thanks to COVID our family has gotten to know each other again. At first, I was ready to lose my mind with all the togetherness. But with time our family has found good footing again.
It didn’t happen overnight. My husband has been home for almost two years now. But I am grateful that father and son are friends now. They even share “guy time” every day. Where we used to avoid each other, now we enjoy just hanging out. The changes that COVID brought were blessings we didn’t even know we needed.
Stay tuned for part 2- What we can do to recover from covid
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