Finishing Week Three

Strange things happen when you're actually not allowed to go outside--thank God for Norte--or carry on with life as always.  Priorities shift. 

Our dog is a welcome excuse to get out a little bit twice a day (taking turns, usually; we cannot go out together), but Emily doesn't get that option.  Children are not allowed outside.  Emily cannot walk Norte alone, obviously, so she just cannot go out to the street.  If we didn't have our wonderful patio for her to run and pick flowers and jump on her trampoline, I don't know what we'd do.  I have two students, siblings, who live with their parents in 60 sqM.  They have zero outdoor space.

I am so grateful that we have not sold this big house of ours in La Roda.  I can honestly say, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.  It is not at all the prison that many seem to be finding their appartments to be, but rather a true shelter from the storm.  This is our own little refuge of peace.  That is not to say we are stress-free, by any means.  I am working, albeit with reduced hours, now; and Angelines is playing teacher-mom, but we are so lucky to have space and our own little bit of nature to enjoy.  Even if we were dogless, we'd be fine.  Our quarentine looks more and more like a holiday when compared to the situations of those around us.

There is perspective to be drawn from this craziness.  It is new uncharted territory in work, for example: new, challenges and obstacles arise daily.  But it has been really wonderful to remember how fortunate I am for everything I have, namely the people I love right here with me.  Inevitably, 24/7 contact leads to occasional conflicts, but the balance is always positive.  I am filled with admiration at how well Angelines (who is not known for coping well with unexpected situations) is dealing with all of this.  She is on a whole quite calm and I'd venture to say even enjoying a lot of her time with Emily.  Emily, for her part, is still pretty happy that we're all in this together, joyfully soaking up all of our attention.

Written with invisible ink (another science project)

I, in the meantime, am struggling to remember why I wanted to go to Granada.  It is hard to be here, seeing children on zoom, preparing online classes with no real contact.  We are working in a vaccume, making everything from scratch... However, it has been immensely gratifying to see how the children have reacted to the little time that we are together online.  They are visibly motivated and excited, not just to see each other but to listen, learn and interact.  Last night a family sent a video they'd put together of the science experiment I sent to do at home--the boy's face was priceless.  And today I got a phone call from a very reserved little girl in class.  She read me a note she'd written for me: Viola: Thank you for teaching us to learn.  I cried.

It is worth it, for moments like these.

All the same, rumor has it school will be out through April and at least half of May...some say early June--daunting to say the least.

There is much speculation online already about life after COVID-19.  I wonder what lasting impact this virus will have on me and my family's situation regardless of whether or not we get sick.