When we first heard about social distancing it sounded overwhelming to think that we would be away from extended family and friends for an undetermined length of time. A good friend and I decided that we would combine our families and social distance together. We made a commitment that we would not expose ourselves or our families to other people outside of our 10 person combined family. This has afforded us the opportunity to have the children play together, go to each other’s houses for a break, get some work done when necessary and have social interaction with people other than the 5 immediate family members living in my house. We had to cancel our spring break plans and then this past week we decided we would go to explore nature with our social distancing family. We have spent the last week tubing and letting the boys be boys. It has turned a stressful time into some of our favorite family memories.

I wonder how much unlimited data on my phone plan really means. Ever since the beginning of this self-isolation era, I’m sure people have turned to their phones and their home wi-fi to ride this wave of corona virus-related news. I know everyone must be watching their Netflix, having Zoom conferences, virtual classes and virtual happy hours, and calling their people to ask them what they’re doing for the umpteenth time that day. As for me, I didn’t realize until now how crucial my phone has become to staying connected and keeping sane in a moment where staying home is the most responsible thing we can do. I wonder how many people are the same way and if the internet overlords can keep this going for us. Can you imagine if those networks fell? Do we whip out our typewriters and feather quills? Do we start to create to our Hulu comedy specials during dinner time? Worse, how long before people living by themselves start feeling the anxiety caused by confinement? I say we use ham radios again or even cans on very large lengths of strings moving forward. Solutions are endless, I’m sure.It’s a deep rabbit hole to follow when we think about how we became so dependent on the internet. It’s truly a blessing and a curse. While there are so many things going on right now, it’s important to stay optimistic and responsive to our community. So, thank you to all the technicians out there doing what they do and thank you to the invisible cable in the sky for carrying our memes, love letters, funny cat videos, and the smiles our loved people across the way for us.

I’ve been impacted by anxiety since childhood. When I was young, I felt a lot of shame about not being able to tell my brain to stop worrying (as well meaning adults suggested). When my two older children were in their early teens, they were both diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a condition that runs in both sides of my family. Although I had already worked on my anxiety in therapy, my children’s diagnoses motivated me to deepen my research, and do whatever I could to learn to manage my mental health and theirs. When their doctor wrote “mindfulness meditation” on a prescription pad and suggested it for all of us, I took it to heart. My children and I became vocal mental health advocates, and I trained in trauma-informed yoga and meditation to help others learn a skill which had helped me and my children. I went to work for non-profits focused on mental health and trauma, both as a yoga/meditation teacher and a mental health peer specialist. When people ask me what I do for work, I summarize it by saying I help both adults and children with “big feelings” by sharing my own experiences and tools that have helped me. Now with COVID-19, I can’t interact with the people I serve face to face. Individual meetings have been replaced with phone calls. Classes have been replaced with YouTube videos and live video-conferencing. I am adapting everyday, as are the people I serve. It isn’t easy, but I’ve noticed a resilience coming to the surface. I’ve noticed that skills that I’ve developed over many years to manage my general anxiety (and trauma) are also helping me to manage this situational anxiety. I see the same in my children, my friends who identify as being in recovery from mental health conditions, and in many of the people I serve. It isn’t universal. Others are really struggling. Seniors in isolation share their fears with me, and they are real and heavy. We practice breathing and grounding together (which is different on the phone but not impossible). We talk about gratitude and hope. We do what we did before, which was to be vulnerable, to sit with big feelings, empathize and acknowledge suffering. To be human together.

I am a Aqua Zumba Dance instructor. Every Sat. I go to 55+ Communities and teach Zumba in the pool. My Mermaids love the class and look forward to it. I feel terrible they are missing maybe the only class they can do. The ages range from 50-90. Hopefully, we can resume the pool classes soon. My Mermaids make me happy and I make them happy.

Our gallery and studio are closed to the public. I come in most days to a thankfully empty town. The only people, for the most part, who are walking the streets are the homeless and those with cognitive disabilities. I drive past the tent city in John Prince Park and it breaks my heart to see so many homeless in close quarters. If nothing is done to help them it is only a matter of time. I worry about Patrick and the folks he feeds and their exposure. I sent this statement out in a letter to someone who might have the power to help. It is all I can think of. I will edit a few words out- but here is my suggestion: Every day I pass the tent city of homeless in John Prince park. This, and one other spot in Lake Worth is a petri dish of disease waiting to explode. Dave Kerner’s solution was inhuman in nature. This situation must be addressed in a humane way. I think you might be the key to this. I am a nobody when I make suggestions, but you have a voice that can and does make a big difference.Because our tourist industry is now dead- there are hundreds of motel room empty and available. I know some of those living there are bad characters because we canvassed there, but I also know there are scared helpless families. I have watched this tent city grow and grow, as I pass it every day.Could you get the county elected officials to pay motels and cleaning crews to sanitize these rooms and house and feed these families (and individuals) until this crisis is over. When the evasive testing kits become available, social services should test everyone. I am willing to bet many of these folks don’t even know about this crisis.I hope you heard Rodney Mayo’ s testimony before the WPB commission. Rodney’s workers could be employed by the county to feed those who need it most. He just laid off over 600 workers. The county needs food to go out to elderly, and all other hungry people- and his restaurants could be set up to do this. What better way to help a humanitarian like Rodney than to pay to use his restaurants to cook and deliver this food all over the county.

I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE LAST 2 WEEKS OFF W/PTO & USE THEM WELL. I CLEARED O/AN ANTIQUE DESK THAT REALLY NEEDED IT & NOW AM IN THE PROCESS OF SHREDDING OLD, UNNECESSARY DOCUMENTS.