Is today tomorrow? That is the question I’ve been asking myself a lot. I am also quoting the then three-year-old daughter of my new guru, Dr. Lucy Mc Bride*, local DC Doc and truth-teller who cuts through the noise with her insightful commentary both medical and personal. Follow her on Instagram @DrLucyMcBride.

Every morning I wake up thinking it’s Groundhog Day. Are we still living in this Pandemic? Yes. And it’s not going away. And it could get worse and drag on longer if people weary of restrictions go out and socialize. I am already dreading winter and bad weather.

I’ve been in the house since March 12. No grocery stores. No shopping of any kind. On the COVID Risk Tolerance Scale, I am pretty much a zero. I can’t concentrate enough to read the books I ordered with anticipation. Work is my salvation and my curse. So many families need help with their children, no matter the ages or stages. Where are the quality people to take these positions? A weight, a worry.

I had an emotional roller coaster of a week. I am usually steady and chronically optimistic. I don’t yell and I certainly don’t cry to my employees. Well, I now need to amend that. Last week I yelled—at my spouse (who else?), hung up on my beloved sister, and cried on the phone with one of my staff. More than once. I also laughed hysterically. Whoa. Talk about highs and lows. 

I also asked no fewer than four times what day of the week it was. I even asked three times if tomorrow was my birthday. Am I three? I cannot get the days straight. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the really tough ones for me. And I can’t help but channel Lady Grantham from Downton Abbey with her memorable line: “What is a week-end?” I have no idea anymore. If it wasn’t for Norman’s Produce pick-up on Saturdays or my husband’s standing Sunday golf game, I’d be totally lost.

It’s after midnight. The house is quiet. I rove between the TV in the family room and the kitchen. Good thing they are so close together. I have discovered Cheese and Caramel Popcorn Mix from Costco. For now, it’s the best suggestion I can share—along with a long walk and the knowledge that if you’re struggling with life/our new reality, you have company.

*Lucy McBride is a DC physician. I’m gaga for her. I’ve never written that about anyone. I met her in 2008 when she was the new doc on the practice roster and someone who could quickly see our daughter who had to be rescued from college with one of the worst cases of mono that had gone undiagnosed for months by a truly incompetent college infirmary. Dr. McBride to the rescue. Fast forward 12 years, and she’s my guru. Helping so many of us through this pandemic with her straightforward science-based answers to all our COVID questions. She also talks a lot about mental health and coping. She is a gift.