Being Home

Hi!

Amidst these unprecedented times, some things have become apparent to me. It is easy to get so overwhelmed with coronavirus going on right now and so I wanted to share what it is like being back home. Half-jokingly, it feels like I am regressing to my high school-self: being at home with my parents 24/7 and having and cooking meals together. It feels surreal being at my desk doing my college coursework and listening to the classical music playlist that I made a few years ago.

But most importantly, this is a time that I will never get back. Of course it’s nice staying up late watching Netflix and sleeping in, but I can do that during any vacation. What makes this time special is making brunch with my mom, watching Little Fires Everywhere or This is Us on Hulu with my parents (although my dad is asleep 10 minutes into a show), or grilling outside with my dad. At college, I missed my mom cutting up fruit for me while I’m studying; I missed the long talks with my parents at dinner; I missed my mom’s flower arrangements on the kitchen table and the list goes on and on. It’s the little things that make this time so special.

To put it bluntly, these are hard times, but even though we are in a time of uncertainty, I would like to share some things that I am grateful for. One is the fact that I am only a First Year in college. My heart and prayers go out to seniors, whether they are high school or college, where their graduation and goodbyes were all thrown together or postponed; I was supposed to do research over the summer, but I am not missing out on an imperative summer such as junior year or trying to find a job; I can’t imagine what it is like to be an international student where their hometown or country is in a worse situation than Massachusetts. I am so grateful that I live close to home and that I have parents that can drop everything and drive out to help me pack.

Another thing I am grateful for is FaceTime. My dad has given me the title of the CEO of technology in our household (sorry Paul — you’ve been dethroned ;)), and I’ve been helping my mom set up Zoom meetings and FaceTimes with her friends. I swear my parents are more social than I am (LOL). A sincere thank-you to all the friends and family who have FaceTimed or will be FaceTiming soon. It is heart-warming to me to see the loving community that my mom has.

I know that I am so lucky that I get to spend some one-on-one time with both of my parents, especially my mom. Not to sugar-coat it, though, it’s hard seeing the progression of her voice and trouble swallowing during meals. When I think of my mom, I think of a super-woman: someone who gives the best advice, someone who would drive me to ballet and piano lessons for so many years, and just being the rock of the family (my dad would agree too). It breaks my heart when she gets coughing fits and I wish I could trade places with her. I wish I could take away her pain. I wish I could figure out a cure for ALS. But a more immediate goal of mine right now is to keep my parents healthy during this time. We’ve all been washing our hands constantly and only leaving the house to go grocery shopping and as my dad puts it, “taking walks around the property.” My mom and I laughed the first time my dad said this because it reminded us of wealthy estate owners in Jane Austen’s novels.

On a more serious note, my parents are trying to get my mom started with Radicava and it’s in the works right now if it’s even possible and safe for my mom to go into the hospital right now. Fingers crossed though!