300 Days of Sunshine

We're more than five months in and realizing that coronavirus is here to stay, despite varying levels of acceptance.  This is our new normal, at least for a while.  I don't think we can even fathom the long term effects that the pandemic will have on our mental health and our relationships, but while we may struggle to find meaningful ways to grieve and to support our friends and family members through life changes and unexpected events, I think what keeps us going is celebrating the good things that are continuing to happen, despite the virus.  Artists are creating beautiful "virtual" pieces (like this incredibly moving virtual choir singing  Eric Whitacre's "Sing Gently" ).  Groups of people are connecting on Zoom.  Weddings are happening (although often not as the couple envisioned).  My former students are graduating from their Doctorate of Physical Therapy programs, despite the current uncertainty of the healthcare industry.  And in acute car...

Celebrating birthdays during the pandemic is very strange.  All my normal birthday traditions like gathering with friends, going out to dinner, or attending a yoga class just aren't happening anytime soon.  There also seems to be a distorted sense of time this year.  Time is passing very quickly (where did July go?!), but at the same time the experience of the pandemic seems very drawn out.  Maybe we should all just cancel our birthdays this year and stay young! Quarantine has been really hard on people's mental health.  I think we're all realizing that we need a balance of social time and alone time to feel healthy and grounded, and the pandemic has taken away the freedom to choose when to interact with others and when to be alone.  Some individuals who live alone and are working from home indefinitely are struggling with the forced isolation, coping with a new level of loneliness that humans just aren't prepared for.  Simultaneously, those of us stil...

Way better than store-bought! I think it's safe to say that our first summer as a family of four is NOTHING like we envisioned, but we're making the best of it and enjoying our time together.  We might not have festivals or outdoor music or vacations, but we're enjoying the outdoors and finding fun projects to do on days when we're stuck at home.   We started intr oducing solid food to Meredith when she hit the 6-month milestone, and just like the rest of her family, she's a great eater.  She seems really enthusiastic about the new flavors and textures, and enjoys the social aspect of sitting at the dinner table with us.  She devoured some homemade cinnamon pear puree and mashed sweet potatoes, and like a true Santa Fean, she's all about the avocado.  Ady loves to feed her baby sister I know the guac is extra. Big sister likes being a helper in the kitchen and we had fun making these homemade pop tarts.  I think most healthy people have a weakness when...

We're approaching monsoon season in Santa Fe, when the heat of late June starts to dissipate, replaced by short, almost daily thunderstorms, leaving behind refreshing temperatures and a stillness in the air.  I don't like the feeling of humidity building up to the thunderstorm, but I do love the cool air, damp greenery, and lingering clouds over the mountains right afterwards.  I went for my early morning run just after a storm on Saturday morning.  My Saturday run is one of the most refreshing parts of my week, because it's my only guaranteed hour of "alone time" when I'm not a full-time healthcare provider or full-time parent, when I don't have to answer to anybody except myself, and when I can let go of the mental energy of being responsible for someone else and helping other people.  It was a really lovely morning for a run, and I was able to get out of the house early enough to not encounter many other people on the trail. The air was calm and I hear...

We're into the heat of summer (literally and figuratively), and the pandemic continues.  Does anyone else wonder what happened to spring?  I feel very disoriented to time these days.  I would like to just erase the past four months from memory, but at the same time I really look forward to witnessing the positivity and innovation and change that will happen as a result of this period in history.  Following 4th of July, I had a lot of meaningful conversations with friends and coworkers about what patriotism means and what we want to see happen in our country. In the meantime, we will make the most out of summer.  While many of my favorite Santa Fe summer pastimes are on hold this year (Music on the Hill, the bandstand at the Plaza, happy hours on patios, art markets, and beer festivals), there are a lot of things I look forward to doing at home.  I want to spend more time in my yard, take the kiddos on more hikes locally, try new recipes, support local busin...

I don't really like the 4th of July.  I used to enjoy going up to the field at the school to watch fireworks in my town as a kid, eating snacks on a picnic blanket and playing with light-up toys while anxiously awaiting sunset and the the beginning of the fireworks show, then watching in awe with all the other kids in town.  We got to stay up late to watch the whole spectacle, including the grand finale, before gathering up our things and walking home together.  But as adult, I can't stand the noise of firecrackers and I am appalled by people setting off fireworks in their own yards.  I have become increasingly annoyed by the fact that fireworks go on throughout the summer, and at all hours of the night.  It is distressing to watch the anxiety that my dog experiences over the loud bangs, and I can only imagine how war veterans with PTSD must feel.  And working in acute care, I have come to associate summer holidays with fatal drunk driving accidents, spinal...

Today marks 100 days since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.  100 days of social distancing.  100 days of staying at home.  100 days of transforming healthcare to meet the new demands.  100 days of learning to recognize each other with masks covering our faces.  100 days of an unbelievable economic collapse.  100 days of witnessing the societal impact of extreme stress on a civilization.  100 days of this enormous mental shift and moving through the stages of grief over the world we used to know.  100 days of coming to terms with the new normal and envisioning what the world will look like when we come out on the other side.  It has become apparent that there is no end to the pandemic in the near future, and the life we used to know no longer exists.  Large group gatherings are not happening.  Celebrations of life and death are modified.  Meetings are now on Zoom.  Happy hours and coffee dates are in the park, with masks o...