New Checkpoint

I recently saw a COVID-19-inspired image with these simple words: “DUI Checkpoint: Corner of Hallway and Kitchen.”

Now I’m certainly not advocating getting drunk. However, the humorous sentiment, aside from making me smile, summarized in some ways how directionless things feel at this defining time. Over the span of just a few weeks, every routine and the general rhythm of life turned on a dime. The shift was absolutely necessary, and the collective move to social distancing will save lives. But telling your kids they can’t see friends, that the concert they practiced so hard for is permanently postponed, that sports are off-limits, or that their graduation ceremony will be rescheduled, if they are lucky, has been a surreal experience to say the least. 

But amid this pandemic and the calls to self-quarantine, the humor that has accompanied the “new normal” has provided much needed relief. From a tipsy Kermit the Frog reflecting only day two at home to an Israeli mom’s rant regarding distance learning, to cheering during chess and countless toilet paper memes, the power of social media is showing its full force right now in balancing disruption with laughter. 

And it’s so needed, especially for those of us who may be questioning our own sanity and capabilities to homeschool effectively or who now may be feeling like they have to live up to unrealistic expectations when it comes to cooking, crafting, or providing other creative enrichment options. Maybe that’s why I love Chris Starkey’s dancing-with-his-daughter video on Facebook and so many others like it. No hot glue guns or papier mâché-making skills required – only a sense of humor and a willingness to laugh at one’s self.

As for my fellow extraverted friends who are finding the whole concept of “socializing distantly” to be the ultimate oxymoron, I encourage you to hang in there and keep the virtual happy hours coming. To my introverted friends, this truly is your time. As one self-described introverted friend recently joked: “We have been preparing for this moment all our lives.” 

Indeed, necessity has always been called the mother of invention, and we are seeing that unfold even more now as we each deal in our own way with the COVID-19 calls to “stay home, save lives.” We are also witnessing the best of humanity with neighbor helping neighbor, socially distant parades, Zoom-based choir performances, video devotions, live-streaming of church services, art classes, zoo features, and museum tours, and even celebrities such as Jennifer Garner making sure that the talents of the world’s kids find a stage on her Instagram feed and at #heyjenlookatme.

While I may be feeling many moments of mom guilt and parental inadequacy during our quarantine, I also am starting to embrace the “found time” and even revel in the ingenuity within it.  

All that said, I also see the value in starting a wine collection now more than ever. 

— Karen Gerboth