I think we all need to hear this right now. It's okay to say this is hard. I have so many friends who say, "I know I'm so lucky and shouldn't complain, but..." There is no but. You get to complain. You may have a roof over your head, and still be earning your wages, and have family in your home and heart, but you get to hate what is happening right now. Because, man, is this hard. My husband and I are working a room away from each other (when we said years ago that we could never work together) while the children try to do their own work and yet they are fighting and needing help and he is on a work call and I am trying to virtually teach (which isn't a thing, no matter what they tell you) and it is raining again and I have no more coffee and I don't want to wear a mask so I can stand in a cold, dreary line outside a supermarket for four items which will take an hour because of social distancing, and did I mention my kids were fighting again? I am exhausted and drained, and did you hear about Zoom fatigue? Yeah, I have that too. And, damn it, I am sad that I missed my Florida vacation, which is a ridiculously privileged thing to say, but I am saying it. I wanted that beach, and my skin to be warm and tan and to eat grouper sandwiches in a restaurant overlooking the water. And damn it I miss restaurants! I miss nights out without my kids. I miss hiring babysitters and overpaying them because they end up watching the neighbor's kid as well. Taking out food and bringing it to my kitchen table (half covered by an unfinished puzzle) and eating it while I stare at the mess of my house and knowing that cleaning it just means the kids will mess it up again, and trying not to care, and to enjoy my half warm food is just. not. the. same. So, say it. Say it loud and scream it into the void if you have to. I HATE THIS QUARANTINE. It is spirit and soul crushing. But look outside, right now, quickly (because it might be gone in seconds!). The sun is shining. Everything still sucks, but there is that. I'll take it.
