Dear Quarantined Mom,
I see you. I see you home all day while your spouse works long hours, and you HAVE to stay home. I see you try to explain to your kids over and over again why they can’t play with their friends or go see a loved one. I see you consoling your child because they found out that they will not return to school this school year. I see you working from home, trying to get work done while one baby naps on your lap, and you tell the other one, “I love you, but Mommy has to work.” I see you terrified of bringing home the virus because you are an essential worker. You may have to go to work and not come home because you’re in health care and likely to get exposed. I see you trying to remember when you washed your hands last and trying to remember if you touched your baby before you washed last. I see you getting behind on all housework due to the baby who won’t sleep, the toddler that is destroying your house, and the Kindergartner who you need to home-school. I see you wearing the same clothes for 24 hours because someone needed you every minute of every day, and by the time everyone was in bed, you were too exhausted to find the last pair of clean yoga pants that still fit postpartum. I see you missing your village, your support system because you’re not supposed to be within 6-feet of the people who were helping you survive that first year of your baby’s life. I see you calling your doctor to talk about adjusting your antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication. I see you feeling guilty for complaining to your friend because you know she must have it worse than you do. I see you feeling guilty knowing that you are safe at home when you feel trapped. I see you. I am you. We will get through this together.
Love, Another Quarantined Mom
