It's a whole new world
I have been back from Ireland for a week now but the world I left is not the one I can home to. You know that. We are all living it and having to make changes. One of my jobs has stopped while I have submitted paperwork to work by telecommuting. The job at Church skyrocketed. I have to figure out new things at home. Eric is home from school for at least three weeks. Kate is trying to figure out how to finish student teaching to graduate in May and wondering if her wedding June 6th is taking place. Joe's program is on hold indefinitely. Liz and Mark have decided to stay in Ireland for the time being.
At first when I can back I had no idea what I was supposed to do. All my classes are cancelled. The Outreach programs scheduled that I had been preparing came to a grinding halt. Confirmation is on hold as is 1st Communion. Last Sunday I sat in my office and had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. I left early just because I felt really uneasy. Monday we came together as a staff and slowly we came up with a plan. That planned changed within an hour or so but we were working on something. There are only six of us so at least we can be together and have community together. For how long we can do it we don't know. All week we met planned and then re-planned.
I started to call our families. It was awesome to be able to talk to our parents. I made it from Preschool through 2nd grade. This coming week I will continue. But these calls while short have brought to me the importance of finding ways to stay in contact. Now more than ever we need our faith community. I know after 9/11 I went to morning Mass more. I needed to connect. I needed to know we were in this together and we all felt so unsettled. This is so different. We cannot be together. We cannot be in close proximity.
More and more in the past few days I have come to love technology. Yesterday I had a meeting with Youth Ministers from he Diocese via Zoom. To be able to see them and talk with them was so comforting. I have opened my Zoom account and scheduled the two meetings with some of my kids. I can't wait to be able to see their faces and connect with them. I also want in the weeks to come to schedule meetings with my teachers and others who I can't get in contact with right now.
As with all other struggles and challenges we have faced in our life and our world I know we will come through this. We are going to have amazing times getting together and being able to do things we took for granted like giving and receiving a hug or being able to find toilet paper. I think about all the celebrating to come. No matter when this ends we will have Confirmation, 1st Communion, we will celebrate Kate's graduation and wedding to Adam. We will be able to enjoy going to Mass and receiving Communion. The sign of peace will be life giving. There are so many things to look forward to.
