Covid Schmovid

Covid Schmovid I wasn't trying to publicize this, but neither was it a secret: last week our whole family got the dreaded Covid-19. At first my husband started feeling weak, achy, and chilled. Then me. We both tested positive, and then our kids started coughing. Feeling weak and chilled. Fatigued. We assumed they all had it, and hunkered down together for what would be a long two weeks. I discovered Instacart -- wow! A little interesting when my shopper started trying to substitute non-kosher candy for the unavailable kosher ones (who said candy wasn't a pandemic essential?), but still -- wow! And the kindness that people showed! Some of my friends texted me every day to check in. Some told me they were bringing soup or sending dinner. Bikur Cholim, our local Jewish organization to benefit those struggling with illness, sent over a care package brimming with games, crafts, and snacks tailor-made for our kids. Some people offered to run errands or even get late-night Slurpees (again, pandemic essential). My daughter's friend went grocery shopping for us and picked up all our Shabbat needs. Our family coughed and sneezed all over each other while managing zooms, school chrome books, and, one memorable day, no WiFi. I have a memory of myself, one morning at 8 am, lying in bed with my tea and scratchy voice, coughing and crying to an unfortunate WOW (our internet provider) employee, begging her to restore service because "we all have Covid and literally all we have right now is the internet!" She said it would take 3-5 business days, but something must have broken in her heart because lo and behold, WiFi was restored. We had, as my daughter said, "March vibes," remembering, with some PTSD, the early days of lockdown, when no one left the house except one designated shopper, back when we were wiping down our Amazon orders, wearing gloves to the store, and feeling completely clueless as to the length of our confinement. This time around it was much more emotionally manageable. Even though we were not feeling our best, thank God we were not seriously ill, and we knew that after a finite number of days, depending on when we each began symptoms, we could go back to normal. Well, "normal" for 2020. We could rock this for two weeks. We watched Harry Potter and played Spy Alley and cooked dinner together and cleaned the house for Shabbat. We handled it as a family, bringing each other tea and tissues and the thermometer. We complimented each other's pajamas and vegged out on the couch ignoring each others, absorbed in our devices. But for me the most memorable thing was my mental static. I have often thought about what I do professionally, and how grateful I am for the ability to use my mind and speech to teach and inspire. Over Covid, I had to cancel classes, mainly because my mental energy levels weren't there. I found it difficult to even make decisions, like, "Should I put this in the fridge or freezer?" Every thought felt taxing. The idea of even typing up a ramble like this, let alone responding to emails or teaching a class, was completely overwhelming. As I write this email right now, it is the first day I feel that my mental clarity has returned, and the difference is like night and day. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, or even this evening, as I hear the symptoms can come in waves. I also don't really know the endpoint, because some have had lingering symptoms weeks or even months later. God willing I will not have to deal with that, but for today I'm just amazed by the mental energy I do have and am so, so grateful. Grateful for friends and grateful for family and community. Grateful for our usual good health. Grateful for our crazy and fun kids and for a great husband. Grateful we all had it together so we didn't have to isolate from one another. And grateful to be on the mend! Stay healthy, friends! And happy Chanukah! Shabbat Shalom, Ruchi