Waiting Out COVID

An unscientific poll of senior friends and neighbors revealed just what we've accomplished during the past two years of this pandemic. The answer: not much.

Mostly, it seems, we've been waiting. Waiting for it to be safe to shop in person. Waiting for our clubs and meetings to start up again. Waiting for a visit from family across the country that has feared bringing COVID to our door. Waiting for all the vaccines and boosters to do what they were supposed to do. Waiting to be unafraid again.

In the beginning we were all for following the rules. We seniors are a tough bunch, and we know a lot. We have coping skills that got us through any number of crises life has thrown at us. But this pandemic has brought many of us to our knees. Each person in my humble survey could, when queried, point to the exact time when the tide turned in their mental health. It was the omicron variant and the additional vaccine booster, when it became apparent that COVID wasn't going away soon.

For me, a daily to-do list has come in handy. On a sheet of paper I have two columns: one work, one play. In the work column there are household tasks such as doing one load of laundry. In the play column are things like wiping the dust off the piano and learning a new song each week.

On the back of the page are two more columns. One is a list of names, and somebody gets called every day. In the other column is an ever-lengthening list of things that are going right. This one is sometimes hard to fill out, but it gets done, even if it's only notes like: Completed a crossword puzzle in seven minutes.

Try it. Make your lists, especially if you've felt yourself sinking under the weight of this neverending pandemic.