Hello everyone!
I've been wanting to document this Pandemic Virus experience called COVID-19. When the scare started, life was just normal but everyone has started to be conscious and cautious. I am a daily commuter of Los Banos-Calamba-Los Banos route. I started wearing mask during the Taal eruption in January. Then I started rubbing alcohol in February when this virus started in the news. I am guilty on rubbing my eyes and nose because I have allergies all year round. After reading a lot of write ups on bacteria and viruses, I realized how careless I was.
Today marks the 35th day of isolation from work, from my students, from friends, from other family members and the world outside. Sooner, I will be part of the history and so as my boys, Luigi and Lorenzo. As much as I wanted them to be calm and comfortable, I know there is this anxiousness in them why all this had to happen. The experience started in March 16, 2020, Monday, when I had to take the morning off to rest because of my monthly sickness. I decided to go to work at 1 in the afternoon, while my Mom and the two boys needed to visit the wake of a relative in Tanauan, Batangas. Shortly after I settled in my office, my lady-Boss called for a meeting with the faculty members and her school staff, she announced the cutting short of school classes and our business office. Then after that, all the people in the room vanished, leaving just the four Academic Heads-- Ma'am Haydz, Sir Marvin, Ma'am Fe and myself. The last instruction was, the four of us needed to report for work until further instructions from our dear Head Office. I went back to my room and finished the timekeeping for March 1-15, and that was the last task I did before the lockdown. The following day, we were instructed not to report for work anymore.
Week 1 of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was very relaxing for me... No early alarm to cook breakfast for Lorenzo, my normal tasks at home were done in no fuss and my hubby was home! The idea of ECQ was not yet clear in my mind, but I did stocked up on food, milk and medicines. I continued reading things about the virus, to the point of developing anxiety and confusion. The boys did their normal routine of cleaning and feeding the dogs, enjoying their late nights and playing with their toys.
Weeks 2 and 3 was "finding ways" moments! People maximizes ways to keep up with the outside world. People continued to search the net with tons of information-- good or bad, it seemed like being aware was the only thing that we can do at home. I even saw a video telling that this is the perfect time to re-connect with family, friends and most of all, our enemies. I joined a lot of Facebook challenges on old pictures, motherhood and the like, just to show positivity. My everyday chat with my cousin Janice turned out to be video calls with little George. I got reconnected again with my LBScrapaholic family.
Each morning of hope turned out to be trying moments because of the adding numbers of infected people in our barangay. I was thankful to see a fire truck in the morning of April 1, disinfecting the main roads of our subdivision. But later, I was anxious again to find out that there was an infected neighbor in our street. I became virus conscious and this pushed me to CLEAN my house! I started cleaning and organizing my closet on Day 12, my kitchen and all the cabinets on Day 16, my scraproom on Day 18 and the boy's room on Day 19. With all the cleaning and disinfecting, I started to develop Acute Sinusitis. I just ignored the pain and instead, I self medicated for 3 days. But on April 12/ Day 27, I took the courage to consult my Head/Neck Doctor online. I had sinusitis for years, but it was my first time to have continuous head pain and discomforts. I learned how to cook fried rice! Since I have the mind-set on saving food everyday (which is the best way to delay my going out to do groceries), I keep the leftover rice and meat for breakfast the following day. Most of our dinners were light and so I have noodles and bread on stock.
Before the ECQ, Scrappin' Moms' reopened for weekly challenges. They aimed to rejuvenate scrapbooking and put out our hoards to use them again. I was able to join their 5 challenges until last weekend. Here are my pages...
Week 4 was spent creating more... I dusted off my ribbon boxes on Day 23 and made bows and bands for baby girls, which I planned to sell soon. I wanted to activate my selling site, but eventually I decided to close permanently.
After the bows and bands, I spotted my cross stitch towels. I had them washed and ironed first before I started stitching. From Days 26 until 34, I did a lot of stitching on kitchen and face towels. During this time, I was on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I had severe facial pain because of my Acute Sinusitis attack, anxiety on my new pair of reading glasses and another anxiety on the growing numbers of infected people in our barangay. I had sleepless nights on hopelessness and worries. Good thing my blood pressure seemed to be cooperating, and after three days of antibiotics and Flo sprays, I begun to feel well.
Week 5 was spent HEALING, both physically and emotionally.
COVID 19 gave me the biggest scare of my life for my family and our future. I can only ask my God to answer all my questions of fear and uncertainty. I came to realize that I pray not to ask anymore. I pray now to thank Him for His unending protection, peace and hope. I was on the dot to TV masses every Sunday, 6 in the morning. Last Sunday was Divine Mercy Sunday, the mass was officiated by Fr. Oscar Orbos on mask. He said that this pandemic should not only teach us to wear face masks, but to put on a strong Faith Mask as well. Learn to trust the Lord and never forget to Hope. I taught my boys to offer sacrifices thru prayers. We religiously say the Angelus, the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy prayers everyday at 6 in the evening. We may not be out to help in the hospitals, feed and help people, but we are HOME to lessen the problems and be our country's prayer warrior.
It is the start of Week 6 today. I woke up with the chorus of chirping birds. I have a garden in front of my tiny home and normally, there were only 2-3 birds chirping and a lot of car horns to wake me up. Now, I am starting to get excited every morning, because I feel that these chirping birds are like blessings of new life and the world's own healing. Let us use this time to REFLECT. Reflect on the things that we have done and needs to be corrected. Reflect on what you still need to do after experiencing this pandemic scare. Reflect on what you have learned and still enjoy the coming days. There is still life and it will still go on...
May the coming days of ECQ still be productive, meaningful and fulfilling.
Let us all stay at home!
Thanks for looking, as always.
