Cave dwelling in modern times

Deciding what to write about this week has been challenging. Although I have several ideas with notes and source material to choose from, none feel right at the moment.

Every news source carries COVID-19 information. I don’t need to add anything. (Which reminds me to thank the hardworking staff of the Lodi News-Sentinel, who are working every day to bring us the top-notch info, especially local news, we need. Thank you all so much.)

We are living in serious times, particularly for seniors, the elderly and the medically compromised. To attempt to be light-hearted is a stretch when what I really need is comfort. So I’m just going to write down my observations, in no particular order.

My television is on more. I have a couple of streaming services, therefore a variety of shows to watch, yet not a whole lot holds my interest. I take breaks from it more frequently, not glomming on five seasons of episodes, but just one episode at a time.

I check the news but don’t keep it on for long. Mostly I tune in at the top of the hour for the headlines, then off it goes.

I’m cleaning out cupboards and closets, saving the worst for last — paperwork. I’ll probably only finish if our orders to stay at home lasts for many, many weeks.

I bless the creators of the internet, email and texting. Without those tools, life would be much, much lonelier.

I’ve made batches of soup — chicken noodle, tortellini and sausage, and chili, packing them with vegetables. My neighbor gave me a basket of oranges, sweet and juicy, from her tree. I’ve savored every one.

So far, I’m keeping my meals healthy. I know it’s easy to reach for salty or sweet snacks as comfort, so I don’t have them in the house.

I attend church via their website to watch Sunday services, although it’s bittersweet. I always like the message, but church is where I get most of my hugs for the week. I got a call from them last week to let me (and every congregant over 65) know that if I need anything, to just contact them. They have a crew of people willing to help.

I miss seeing the sweet faces of my grandchildren, and I love when my daughter-in-law posts a cute or funny Facebook story about their antics. The whole family FaceTimed me last night, the kids freshly bathed and ready for bed. I felt 10 times better.

A while later my Oregon-based son sent a YouTube video of him and his partner singing and dancing while making dinner. It was adorable and awesome.

My local son is a firefighter, and I worry, of course, about his health and safety, even as I’m proud of him, and his fellow public servants and first responders everywhere, for the selfless jobs they do. I pray daily for them, as well as for all the people on the medical front, who are risking their lives to take care of us.

The one time I went out for groceries, I thanked as many of the clerks and shelf stockers as possible for all they are giving, too. I wish I could support every small business and restaurant in town.

I pray our elected and appointed officials put partisanship aside and focus on doing the right thing, compromising only in their politics, not in what needs to be done right now in our country.

Caring and creative people are leading the way with street chalk art and pictures of bears in their windows so that when our kids are playing outside and people are taking walks, they see messages of inspiration and give kids a chance to go on a “bear hunt,” diverting them from missing school and having to stay inside so much. Losing their daily structured routine and their school friends is hard for them, too.

I’m lucky. I’m not homeless or ill or unemployed. I have health insurance, should I need it, great friends and neighbors, and a caring family.

So far, no one I know personally has contracted the virus. I am grateful for that. Everyone my age that I talk to is more than willing to stay in their homes for a few weeks if it means the end of the crisis comes sooner rather than later.

If only we could sleep in our dens for the duration and emerge from the long sleep to a disease-free world, full employment, and hugs all around.

Hibernating in place. I could go for that.