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On Day 13 Of National Lockdown, Words Become Meaningless
Day 13 of the national lockdown brings mixed emotions. As for any unexpected event in our lives, we react in stages. Each stage is important; each stage brings out new feelings.
Denial. Fear. Hope. Anger. Surrender. Acceptance.
I don’t watch the news anymore. Not having a TV in the house helps. Instead, late evenings, I spend minutes in a row, watching videos with people hospitalized in Italy; people on respiratory support. My soul shrinks. Each body, each patient is someone’s loved one, perhaps soon enough one of my loved ones.
At the same time, people I know around the globe send me messages: “Is the situation really that serious? Why are the numbers in Italy so high? Should we be careful?”
I’m exhausted. I’m tired of answering questions. I’m drained of energy and patience. Yes, it’s serious. No, we cannot spend our entire lives hiding in our homes, but now it’s important that we do so. No, you are not alone. Yes, people are dying.
We have good days and bad days. We have a thirty-minute dance party every day at around 6 pm. Dancing and loud music cleanse some of the negativity. In between cooking, playing games with our daughter, and reading stories, I surprise myself falling silent a few times a day. Feelings…