Drifting through the second full week of social distancing and (mostly) staying home, cabin fever is setting in.  Is it Tuesday or Saturday?  Does it matter?  One day is the same as the next: hand washing till my skin dries out, spraying Lysol on everything, wiping down my cell phone and computer, figuring out some form of exercise so I don’t turn into a listless blob.  Listening to the escalating infections and deaths—especially in New York City the Covid19 epicenter—I have entered a unique state of numbness and terror. If time flies when you’re having fun, right now time is at a virtual standstill.

Since I have so much time on my hands, I’m trying to appreciate the positive things in my life.

1. So far, my family and I are healthy (at least for the moment).
2. Now that our son lives in LA, we have an extra room to serve as a retreat from my husband who is working from home and talking for hours on conference calls.
3. My husband has a job and is still being paid. We can afford to pay our rent, buy groceries and order in from neighborhood restaurants.
4. After days of scavenging local supermarkets, I have enough food, beverages, paper products and cleaning supplies to last two weeks as usual.
5. EPIC Players is continuing to offer classes and rehearsals on-line. We are happy (and relieved) that EPIC’s shows WILL go on. The Lincoln Center cabaret fundraiser and production of Midsummer Night’s Dream have been postponed (rather than cancelled).
6. Samantha is still able to audition. In the absence of an acting coach, I have stepped into the role of helping my daughter tape her auditions on the phone. Although technologically challenged, this momager is learning fast.  My second attempt was better than my first because I could focus entirely on holding the phone, instead of reading lines from a script AND trying to hold the phone steady with one hand.
7. Central Park is still open and the trees are in bloom. Spring has sprung.
8. I’m sleeping an hour later because there’s no rush to go to a dance class (or anywhere else). Extra sleep will also be good for my immune system and help me stay healthy.
9. Talking to friends. More time to share anxieties and maybe laugh.
10. Reading and writing for a few more hours. I especially appreciate writing with Samantha and creating a show for her.
11. Now that my housekeeper can’t work for us, I have enlisted my daughter to help clean our apartment. Samantha is long overdue for learning these life skills, and since she doesn’t have a life skills coach at the moment, I’ve stepped into that role too. Since our bathrooms and kitchen need to be cleaned anyway, there is no time like the present for my daughter to learn. It’s also nice to have a helper!
12. Last—and by no means least—Samantha has been a wonderful sport about ALL of the disruptions and demands of the coronavirus. (My husband says she’s a better sport than I am, and he’s probably right). Listening to her sweet-but-powerful voice singing and rehearsing in her room has been a joy. What could be better than listening to my lovely daughter singing “No One is Alone”?

Speaking of no one being alone, I’m so grateful that the three of us are together AND managing to co-exist peacefully. So far, so good.No One is Alone (snippet)