Corona-Quake

As all of you should know, the Coronavirus (aka COVID-19) is running rampant in the world right now. One week ago things were looking a little scary. Big events were beginning to be cancelled. Some schools were announcing shut downs/closings. Grocery stores began to be cleaned out of more than just soap and toilet paper. Meanwhile I was trying to shelter my kindergartener from the anxiety of it all as well as the contagion. My parents picked her up from school so I could attend a temple session while I still could. (I realized they would be closing soon.)

By the end of the day, Utah’s governor had announced a “soft closure” of all Utah schools (nobody was really sure what “soft” meant) and TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed temples and cancelled Sunday services for the foreseeable future. Man am I glad I went to the temple when I did. My husband’s work also announced his office would be split into two teams, each working every other day from home, but on opposite days. Luckily Lizzie’s Saturday gymnastics class was not cancelled, but I bet it is for tomorrow. Jonathan took her and there were only about 5 girls there.

It has been a strange week as we learn to homeschool as well as have Dad working from home. We are also learning how to “social distance” and stay home… a lot! I prepared school-like work for Lizzie to do on Monday and Tuesday. Then the week took another stressful turn at 7:09 am Wednesday morning.

We were supposed to get official schoolwork from her teacher, but we were rudely awakened by a 5.7 magnitude earth quake whose epicenter was only 22 miles away from us. Living on a moderately busy street we are used to large delivery trucks driving by making a racket and shaking the house a bit. As my husband and I laid there half awake we thought the rumble was just a normal truck driving by. A few seconds in a I thought to myself, “dang, that’s a big truck” a few more seconds and I realized it was not a truck. (In fact, one drove by as I typed this and made me jump.) At almost the exact same moment my husband and I both bolted out of bed, out of our room, and straight to our daughter across the hall. By the time we got there the shaking was almost over and we didn’t have time to do anything else.

Boy was it gut wrenching! Having grown up in Utah near a fault line, I have been educated in the ways of earthquakes in multiple times and I knew it wasn’t over. Aftershocks are real folks. I had to leave Jonathan, my husband, to hold Lizzie, our daughter, and get her back to sleep so I could have a total meltdown. I was sobbing, shaking uncontrollably and was very mad at the world because I just couldn’t handle one more thing!

About an after the initial quake, we felt a smaller and shorter aftershock, and another in the afternoon. I have family that lives closer and they felt many more aftershocks than we did. (Another truck drove by my house just now, still made me jump.) I have been watching the seismograph at the Universityof Utah ever since. The aftershocks are getting smaller and further apart, which I am told is a good thing. Means that was the big event and not a foreshock.

I cannot tell you how many times during my Utah public education that class was interrupted by a static-filled recording of an earthquake over the intercom. (Two large trucks in a row just now.) That was our clue that we were having an earthquake drill. We were to get under the nearest table or desk and cover our heads. Did these drills prepare me for what would happen during an earthquake at home, as a parent? Nope. I still need to figure out how to better respond. So much time was spent trying to decide what was going on though. I don’t know what I would have done differently. I do feel better that our 72-hour kits are now in the car just in case though.

Anyway, because of the earthquake, the school district closed all district buildings and we did not get Lizzie’s remote learning packet as planned. I managed to find her some worksheets that day and we still did some schoolwork. We did however pick it up yesterday and start the real class work. While we were picking it up, we ran into her good friend from school. The moms told the kiddos that they couldn’t hug and the devastation on their faces made my heart sink.

Not too long into the schoolwork Lizzie was rather upset with me for telling her to follow directions and not do her own thing. At one point she threw her writing assignment at me. I immediately told her to go to her room on time out. (Jonathan called it “in school suspension,” and it made me chuckle) Five minutes later I went to talk to her and found her asleep in her bed. I think the poor girl is more stressed than I realized about this whole ordeal.

Schoolwork went a lot better today and we finally understand the whole packet we were given by her teacher. The technology we have available now is amazing! Her teacher is using an app called SeeSaw. It is how we turn in her assignments and get messages from her teacher. I am also glad for technology and being able to see friends and family via video calls and Marco Polos. I can’t imagine going through this time without it.

This is a good opportunity to take stock of what and who is important to you in your life. Slow down and spend time with your family. Try that recipe you have been meaning to try. Practice a hobby you have let fall to the wayside. But especially study your scriptures and get closer to God. I don’t know what next month will be like or even next week. Someday life will return to normal and I hope it is a new and better normal.