Page 59 - FDCC Pandemic Book

Living in a Pandemic: A Collection of Stories on Coping, Resilience & Hope
In June, our daughters and family made a huge decision to move from West Palm Beach back to Greenville, enabling us to see each other in-person. Thankfully when planning family time, all three of our children have been incredibly vigilant about any potential exposure they or their children may have had. They have severely restricted their contacts and when necessary, they have been tested and self-quarantined until they deemed it safe to see us.
We chose to be together for our annual family beach trip, and spent the week of the 4th of July at Kiawah; however, before we started the vacation, our children decided to stay in a self-quarantine. We had 2 separate houses and spent most of our time outside, riding bikes, crabbing, fishing and playing on the beach. One of the houses had a pool so that made it easy to keep the grandchildren happy, busy and removed from other children. We either picked up supper or cooked for 13, which is always a memorable family affair. We were our own party! It proved to be a truly wonderful week for all of us, renewing our souls and love for each other at a time it was most needed.
As the summer progressed, everyone in our family remained well and we were able to spend the Labor Day weekend together at Lake Keowee. Again, we were isolated from the general public and enjoyed our time boating, fishing, swimming, tubing, wake surfing, watching sunsets and sharing wonderful family meals.
The start of the school year presented us with new challenges. The public schools in Greenville County were closed or operating virtually. Our children were concerned about the uncertainties associated with the limits of the school system schedule and class sizes, so our grandchildren were enrolled in our local smaller church school. They have been attending school full time and thus far have remained well. We agreed that being in school, if at all possible, was critical to their education and developmental wellbeing.
It was incredibly heartbreaking to hear our four-year-old granddaughter, Chandler, say, “I can’t hug you because of the COVID!” What will be the long-term psychological impact of this pandemic on this generation of children? Carol Anne and I both remember the horror of polio and the relief that came with the Salk vaccine. Thankfully, the COVID vaccine is now being distributed, with the hope that it will soon bring the same relief to our world that the Salk vaccine brought in the 1950s.
Our fall began with begrudgingly adjusting to no family tailgating or Clemson Tiger football games in Death Valley. Then from a distance, we watched our masked grandchildren and friends trick or treating in their neighborhood.
Zoom meetings with family and friends, virtual cocktail hours and dinners became the now normal. We also gathered with a few of our dear friends for dinner in a field, seated in socially distanced lawn chairs; it was a huge treat just to be together.
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