The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of families in difficult spots, whether that be members contracting the virus, households still being considered “essential workers”, or even just the stress of being on quarantine with a household.
The following interview takes a look at a mother’s perspective on what it is like to have to send her family out into the world for work with the possibility of contracting the virus.
Our subject is Nicole Fisher and she explains to me what it is like living in these difficult times and how she is able to lead her family to try and live the most normal life possible.
Anthony: What is it like living in these times of a global pandemic?
Nicole: These are unprecedented times that we are living in. They are times of fear and uncertainty. Always having to question actions and movements. It is something I have never seen before.
Anthony: What are you able to do to try to normalize these new living circumstances?
Nicole: We are taking all the safety procedures seriously by disinfecting and making sure that the house is clean. Also making sure that I, along with the rest of my family, is constantly washing our hands.
Anthony: Do you have any essential workers in your household?
Nicole: I have four.
Anthony: What is it like having to send them out into the world and bring them back into the house?
Nicole: It is scary but it helps normalize everything. My husband and I both work 9-5 all week and my two older children are employees at Walmart working close to 40 hours a week.
Anthony: What kind of advice are you giving to your children when they go off to work at a location like Walmart?
Nicole: Everyday I tell them to wash their hands and stay away from people (with a snicker). It has become a running joke. Just making sure they are taking the necessary precautions and washing their hands frequently. It is the most that I can do to try to keep them safe. This also is helping keep the peace in our household because we are not all forced to be trapped here and it helps normalize everything.
Anthony: How would you deal with a situation of having the entire family couped up 24/7?
Nicole: It has crossed my mind and honestly I am not sure. Lots of board games and movie watching would be involved. It would make it very difficult and I am lucky that we are in the situation that we are in.
Anthony: What are you hoping for as we try to reach the end of these difficult times?
Nicole: My biggest hope is that my family remains safe and healthy through all of this. Just making sure that we continue to follow the necessary precautions and come out of all of this on the healthy side to get back to normal. Normal probably will not be the same normal, but finding that new normal will be able to set in sooner rather than later.
Normal is certainly something that the world is hoping for as this pandemic continues to drag on and leave it’s mark on the world.
These are dangerous times and having a family that is still able and willing to go out into the world can be scary but they are not called “essential workers” for nothing.
The most important takeaways that I noticed in my conversation with Nicole is just make sure the proper safety precautions are being taken and doing the most that can be done to stay clean and avoid the spread.
As long as these things are being done hopefully the world can move past this pandemic and restore the world to as close as possible as it used to be.
Stay safe everyone and do your part in putting an end to these difficult times.
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