Quarantined

I’ve cleaned up the kitchen

I’ve mopped all the floors

I’ve dusted and vacuumed

Can’t take this much more

I’ve pondered and wandered

And frequently paced

And memorized every square foot

Of this confounded place

I’ve organized closets

And polished each shoe

Could someone please give me

Another project to do!

In recent weeks my mother and I have spent a great deal of time on the telephone with one another. Not simply because I relocated to balmy Florida and she remains in not-so-balmy Ohio but also because the nursing home where she lives is on lockdown. And when I say lockdown I mean each resident is quarantined to their room. No family, friends, fellow residents or outside visitors other than the nursing home staff members can enter her suite. Other than my mother’s infrequent “Facetime” opportunities facilitated by her recreational activities director, Sue, mom has very little face-to-face time with others.

When a week of isolation had passed, my mother spoke of feeling a little sad, bored and uneasy about the potential of being alone for a long duration of time but mentioned she might “stay busy with her crafts” and hoped for the best. But now, after nearly a month, my feisty mother is...as she so appropriately put it, “stir crazy” and “ready for another project to do, dammit!” Apparently, Crafty Nancy’s stockpile is running low.

How could this be? After all, many of my visits have been spent purging the overflowing bins of all things crafts. Together, we’ve made soap, sewn umpteen baby blankets, decorated photo frames, hodge-podged anything that wasn’t walking and commenced to making Christmas gifts in July. Yes, July!

So, when my mother assertively requested a project to do I did as all doting daughters would do...I put together something to keep her hands and mind busy.

I have written and designed an interactive workbook entitled, “My Joyful Life.” It is intended to help my mother catalog her life, recall the many joyful times she has experienced and remind her of the happiness that is to come when the effects of the virus and quarantine have passed.

My hope is that with this project of love, my mom’s spirits will be lifted, she will feel a renewed sense of joy and optimism, she will be inspired to share her life’s stories as only she can tell them, and finally, I hope she shows it to and reads it for anyone who visits in the future.

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, I will begin an email campaign starting with my mother’s nursing home and then to as many senior adults and assisted living facilities I can locate across the country. I will be sending a downloadable pdf workbook to be printed out for the residents to enjoy during this unprecedented time. Thank you, Mom, for the inspiration!

“My Joyful Life” is available at www.writerroberta.com as a downloadable pdf (in color or black & white) or you may email me at writerroberta@gmail.com and I will forward it to you. I hope this gift is enjoyable and beneficial for you or someone you love.

Wishing you a joyful and joy-filled life. Please stay healthy!