We used to be the kind of people who went to the grocery store almost everyday. We ran to Target on a whim, or stopped by Home Goods just “for fun.” But the moment that Governor Newsom issued the stay at home order for the State of California just over four weeks ago, we chose to change our lifestyle immediately. Yes, we chose. We chose and we continue to choose, because we realize that so many people out there don’t have a choice.
People have lost their jobs, their health insurance, and their loved ones. People have lost their help, their homes, and their freedom to choose. But us? We are among the blessed. We truly are the lucky ones. We still have our jobs, our health insurance, and our health. We still have our family and friends. And we still have the ability to choose.
What we do.
We choose to stay home to help protect all of those people who don’t have a choice, or who are struggling in some way. And I encourage you all to do the same. Stay home as much as you can, and look for all of the small ways in your own life that you can choose to make change and help the cause.
We’ve gone from grocery shopping almost daily to once every two weeks. We’ve stopped doing any sort of “for fun” shopping, unless it’s online. We signed up for USPS Informed Delivery so that we only visit our mail room when it’s a necessity. We’ve transferred everything that we can from in-store to online. We wash our hands incessantly, and every time that we step out of our apartment, we wear our homemade masks with filters.
When we go out, we give beyond the six feet of social distancing. When we go to the stores, we thank all of the employees for their hard work and dedication to keeping our stores clean and open. We offer smiles, support, and something to laugh about. When we come home, we painstakingly wipe down every single item that is brought back into our apartment. We wipe down our phones, keys, wallets, door handles, car doors, steering wheel, and shoes. And we immediately change out of our “out of home” clothing to prevent any transfer of germs.
Our why.
All of this takes time. And to be honest, none of it feels ideal. But here’s the thing – we are simply doing what we can as a way to honor our frontline and essential workers. We are not looking for our small acts to go noticed, but we do hope that they reflect our respect and appreciation for all of their hard work and dedication.
So let’s all keep pitching in however we can. Let’s not go to stores as an outing, or because we are bored. Let’s plan out our grocery runs. Let’s keep spreading gratitude and appreciation, and let’s keep staying home and following the guidelines. This too shall pass, so let’s stay patient, and stay the course. We’ve fought this together, now let’s heal this together.
Stay safe, and be well!