Crushing Quarantine

We have come through, for better or worse, another week of “Stay Home – Stay Safe.” Our lives have reluctantly taken on a more sedate routine.

The Rev. Abby VanderBrug, of Christ Church Greenwich, in a recent sermon said: “No one is doing great. No one is crushing quarantine.” And she is right. To stay at home, except when absolutely necessary to go out, is an unnatural hardship for many to endure. It is necessary, but unnatural.

The social distancing is creating new landscapes that we must learn to navigate. For some this can be an adventure. Playing “Cards Against Humanity” with our children has been “interesting.” The dogs love us being home all day, every day. The cat a little less so.

There can be silver linings as well. A good friend of the paper has been systematically cleaning out every closet in his house. It is not a small house, so it is a big project. We have been enjoying the weekly reports of what he has found. A suburban archeological step back in time through the entire time he has lived there.

With more time on our hands we are witnessing and participating in more acts of kindness and gratitude. This past Wednesday and last Wednesday Greenwich came out of their homes to “make some noise” to honor and support everyone at Greenwich Hospital who is on the front lines fighting COVID-19. It was amazing!

Throughout town there came reports of whole neighbors clamoring up a storm. Many churches joined in and their bells rang loudly and beautifully. There was even cannon fire coming from various locations, especially down by the water.

Last week our first responders honored hospital workers as well. If you happened to be at the hospital on Thursday, it was quite a sight to see. You could hear the sirens approaching before they were drowned out by the noise of a helicopter at tree-top level. Our state police helicopter was leading the parade and put on a wonderful show as it circled and banked over the hospital.

What followed was approximately 30 vehicles from Greenwich, Port Chester, Rye Brook, North Castle, Metro North, Harrison and Bedford. Fire Trucks, Police Vehicles, Red Cross and GEMS. All with their sirens and lights blaring away. It was terrific and emotional and community all at once. Several hundred hospital staff were there applauding, all with face masks on.

And they were smiling! How can you tell when someone who is wearing a face mask is smiling? Their cheek bones rise up a little bit and you can see it in their eyes.

There have been countless other acts of kindness and gratitude towards all who are on the frontlines of this pandemic. There has been an outpouring of restaurants that are delivering meals that have been donated. If fact, so many are being delivered there is now a schedule of who donates on what day so that the food is not wasted.

The hospital and its staff are very appreciative as well. How do we know? Well, on social media you can see photos of them saying thank you and they all have their face mask smiles on.

It is not just the hospital that everyone is saying thank you to. It is also our police and fire departments and GEMS as well. They too are on the front lines.

There is some good news that is slowly emerging. We are beginning to flatten the curve here in Greenwich. There are fewer cases of patients in the hospital. More are being sent home to recover. The increase in positive tests seems to be slowing down as well.

We may not be “crushing quarantine,” but we are certainly not letting it crush us either. It will be over soon, and then there will be no more face mask smiles – just smiles. And hugs, lots of hugs.

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