Mom in the Time of Corona.

Hello,

It’s an interesting time out there, dear reader. A simple run into a grocery store today can provide you with multiple thought-provoking realities and situations you may not have ever seen before. Of course, maybe you have. I know some people have experience with something like this, be it hurricane preparing or blizzard stockpiling. I am 26 years old and haven’t really seen anything quite like the environment I entered yesterday for a supplies run. It’s been mulling around in my mind since, and that paired with the deafening crescendo of social media is enough to make your head spin.

This last Thursday, my husband and I decided to go enjoy the nearby Buffalo National River from atop a canoe, which we like to do often when the weather is nice. We stopped on the way at the nearby Dollar General (because there is always a nearby Dollar General these days) to grab some drinks and snacks to take along. The place was packed. Packed like I have never seen before in our tiny, tiny town. Everyone was rather calmly mulling about, and most people had full carts. The paper products aisle was almost bare, and a lot of people had multiple packages of toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues in their carts. I was a little surprised to see a reaction to the COVID-19 news so close to my home, but otherwise I found myself unaffected by their purchasing. The conversation is really what caught me. Everyone was buzzing, hemming, hawing.

“People are so dumb. Just wash your hands.”

“My Facebook feed has been so stupid. People are overreacting.”

“People are just panicking and making it harder for the rest of us.”

There was a lot more, obviously, but the theme of “everyone is dumb, except me” was just so strong and unmissable.

I furrowed my eyebrows and checked out. Once back in the car, I told Ben: “Maybe we should put a few things away just in case we decide to stay home or you can’t work or something.”

He said “Sounds good, let’s do it.”

Simple enough. No panic. No frenzy. I made a list and we planned to go to the nearby larger stores the next day.

Our list went like this:

• General pantry items (like salt, coffee, flour, oil, rice, etc)
• Ammunition 
• A large propane canister and propane to go in it
• Gas cans of gas
• Chickens (perfect timing to easily find baby chicks)
• Sawdust for our composting toilet (a luxury)
• Advanced medical supplies (sutures, antibiotics, trauma care plus restocking on the basics)
• Angstrom silver and Tylenol (in case someone actually contracts the virus)
• Diapers and wipes (I have cloth diapers, and can make wipes, but am lazy)
• Wine (because wine is good)

Not everything on this list was a necessity. Not all of them had to be, in my mind. I just wanted to put us in a situation where if we were buckled down at home for a long period of time, we would have some time and supplies between us and the eventuality of having to transition into survival and traditional techniques of living. I believe completely that the Lord is in control, any hypothetical quarantine at this point for us would be self-imposed. We are not worried, just trying to think ahead and make good choices.

Preparing is not panicking.

And that’s the thing. With a few exceptions, I believe most people are just trying to work with the information they have. No one is obligated to do a deep-dive into the piles of information coming at them every day during a worldwide pandemic. That’s overwhelming for anyone who isn’t a data nerd. To make an assessment based on your experience and your basic knowledge of the happenings around you, along with your personal knowledge of your family’s needs is really all anyone can be expected to do. Would I go out today and buy a cart full of toilet paper? No. It’s not something I think I need to make it. That's just me. Am I worried about people stockpiling toilet paper? No. I may not understand it, but it's something they think they need. I'm fine with that.

Stockpiling is not selfish.

Would I have been upset if I had gone to the store and found them completely out of some product I thought I needed? No. Absolutely not. If someone else decided they needed it, and for some reason or another decided that they might need it in large quantities, then they came in and purchased it. Or, I waited too long and a lot of people purchased just what they needed. Being a mother to a child does not make me entitled to anything labeled “baby”, and I can’t know people’s motives behind buying what they decide they need. To measure what you think other people need or do not need to buy is a dangerous game, politically. If I can not find something I need, I will make that thing myself or I will use a natural alternative or I will go without. If you find yourself in a situation where you can not find the thing that you need, for yourself or for your child, go to your friends, your church, your community and if all fails, you will find another way.

Stockpiling items is not just a mentality or a personality, it is inherently human, and a part of our God-given instinct. Since the beginning, man has been told by God to put away provision for winter, or for hard times. Stockpiling or preparing can be found many times in scripture. We are told to work hard while we can so that our family does not go without. I think that’s a concept a little removed from my generation as most of us have grown up getting things when we need them, with little to no interruption to the supply chain. Perhaps that has bred a touch of entitlement in us as we go into the stores today and can’t find what we think we need. As adults and as parents we need to understand that whatever lifestyle we adopt, there will come times when we need to be thinking ahead about provision, and I think these months are going to be a light bulb above a lot of people’s head about that. I also thought about how much peace and plenty has been present in my life, and how easy it is to not go about every day thanking God for that because historically, it is unheard of.

Everybody is dumb, except me.

We need to be very careful, especially in this time, to keep our calm and retain kind relationships with the people in our communities. My social media feeds are littered with name-calling, jeering (some in good fun, others not so much), and complaining about things and people that really don’t touch us unless we think about them. Of course I’m a fan of finding humor in everything, don’t get me wrong, but loving kindness is required of us by the Most High. Remember that almost everyone is a little shaken and just trying to do what is best for their families and friends. Your reaction to the news and the happenings in the world today will be different from other people’s. Try not to constantly measure people against yourself, but rather do what you need to for your family, and help wherever you can. Remember that God’s Will is being done in the world around us, and it is perfect and unwavering. People will react as they have been conditioned to, and it’s okay to disagree with that, but as Christians to lend our voices to the shrill of calling our neighbors fools seems like dangerous ground to me. This is not to say we do not need to be wary of panic-stricken people or be ready to defend ourselves against those who would take from us (remember the ammunition from our list). What I am saying is let’s take a deep breath, and remember that God provides for us just what we need, and has promised to do so always.

I believe that this will get worse before it gets better, and we need to be ready for that, even if I am wrong. Read the news, talk to your children about what is going on, and maybe take this time to learn some traditional skills or survival techniques. It’s the perfect time to take up a hobby, isn’t it?

In humility and hoping for the best for all,

Tracy M