That is the report from the Tokyo area. In my area life is going on about as usual. I did grocery shopping yesterday and the stores are still well stocked. Restaurants are open and there seemed to be as many people in them as usual. People are still visiting and meeting in their homes...
Takumi called and we had a video chat with him and Julieta-san for nearly an hour. He had read my blog post about being irritable and of two minds during the pandemic and he was concerned with our mental well-being I guess. Of course we are mostly concerned about the two of them as California has a much more severe state of affairs than we have in Japan and in our countryside area. Takumi seems to have adopted the policy of not watching the news so he knew less about the California situation than we did.
We are SO grateful that he and Julieta are weathering out this storm together. I have never been too supportive of this living-together lifestyle the new generation keeps but Tetsu and I are extremely happy that the two of them are together. Somewhere along the line the dates of when the two of them are married or not have become blurred in my mind and I already consider Julieta my daughter-in-law... my DAUGHTER! I long for the day when I will have a picture of her in her wedding dress up on my wall, but even now my son and his wife are keeping each other afloat.
"No matter where we are as long as we're together I have a smile on my face."
If that doesn't make a mother feel relieved I don't know what does!
I told Leiya that we were very worried about Tony at the front lines of the medical battlefield and for her too as she is still going to work at her logistics job. She said that she and Tony were worried about US as "You guys are in the older bracket now." Gulp. Made me laugh though.
My four children... Never would I have thought that I couldn't just drop everything and be with them whenever I needed to or wanted to but there you have it. I'm thanking the Lord though for practically instantaneous communication technology. Praying for all them daily.
We can Skype, Facetime, txt, email or phone, and communication now is more vital than ever. Keep strong Tanya, they will be careful and you and Tetsu must be careful too.We are in total lockdown, some silly people ignoring the rules and congregating together in public places. XXX from NZ
ReplyDeleteWe are in lockdown here in NJ but we will weather the storm. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteKaren in New Jersey
I shed a tear reading your post. I have just got off the phone from my daughter, I am worried also about her working at the hospital as the Covid area is next to her clinical engineering department. I guess I am lucky, when all this is over she is within an hours drive for us to hug each other. Look after yourselves, take care and I always look forward to seeing your beautiful smile and photography on your blog. Xxx from Australia
ReplyDeleteThe danger from the virus is hard to comprehend in some ways. The news is awful and worsens each day but, unless you know someone ill, life is like a fire drill. Until it's not.
ReplyDeleteIt might be best if Takumi and Julieta have a civil ceremony while they have to wait for the current crisis to settle down, which might be more months than we expect. As it stands, neither has legal standing as a spouse.
Sharing your anxiety about children at a distance. God loves them more than we ever can, so trust his purposes x
ReplyDeleteYour family are beautiful, but it is very hard not to have personal contact. Please be careful, I hope you and Tetsu stay safe.
ReplyDeleteEven after being asked to stay inside, I am seeing pictures of parks filled with young people under the cherry trees and the scramble crossing in Shibuya full of people. Having been kicked off work weeks ago and choir, and asked to stay home because old people are dangerous, and now after a month, it seems there will be several more months before the young people get the message. Love to see the pictures of your kids. I enjoy skype and facetime with mine too.
ReplyDeletePeople should take the warnings seriously. Many younger people are having to be hospitalized in life threatening situations. NY City did not take this seriously and now cases have exploded and are entering the suburbs and surrounding countryside areas. Even in my small town people who have tested positive have been seen out and about! How can they do this to others? This is how it spreads and it spreads exponentially.
ReplyDeleteHappy for you that you got to see your children. Mine are spread in different areas over the country. Hope to facetime them over the weekend. Stay safe! The mantra here is "social distancing" at least 6 feet apart. Mostly, I stay home except to walk in the neighborhood and only wave from across the street.
You have beautiful children and it is wonderful that you are able to keep in touch with them through technology.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the updates. A touching post. I too am worried about my (only) child, who lives in NYC and works for a big company where a lot of people travel internationally all the time. He thinks he had Covid-19 in January, after Christmas break and before cases were reported in the US. Whatever he had dragged on for 2 weeks and required the use of an inhaler, something he never had to use before. In a way, I hope he did have it and is now immune, but who knows. I'm worried about him, the supply lines bringing food to stores in the city (some food stores are closing, some workers and delivery drivers are refusing to show up), and I wonder when we'll be able to be together again. I always went there in the spring and the fall for a week. Now I have to be patient, pray this passes, and try not to catch it myself, as my husband and I are also in that "older bracket."
ReplyDeleteLocally, our stores are about half-stocked. I haven't been able to get chicken, ground beef, paper towels, or toilet paper all month, among other things. Produce and dairy products are hit and miss. I'm using online ordering and curbside pick-up so I don't have to go into the store. We're under "stay at home" orders but there are so many exceptions that it's barely different than business as usual. The police will not stop and question you if you're out and around, nor will they require documentation that you're going somewhere essential, such as to your job. Some people are interpreting that to mean they're free to go anywhere, do anything, and get together with friends! Young people in particular are not heeding the warnings, after the message (when this started) that the virus was not hitting those under 30 very hard. Real estate offices are not closed, so people are coming and going in houses for sale. And so on and so forth. Not a very effective lockdown here. The number of known cases in our county doubled in the last 4 days. Scary times. Every time I cough, every time I sneeze, and every little tickle in my throat, I wonder if This Is It. Someone I know in another state has it - in their 70's with COPD - now hospitalized with pneumonia. The family is very worried.
Good to see your beautiful children. I pray for all Dr.s, nurses, and 1st responders and their families daily. So I'm praying for Tony and Leiya just not by name. We are in So. CA. Half way between LA and San Diego. We just read there are 11 people in our town with Covid19 and 16 in the next town south. No one knows who is a carrier so keep social distancing and stay home as much as possible. Wash everything. I'm not afraid of death but (like everyone else) don't want to leave too soon.Patty McDonald
ReplyDeleteYour last sentence hit home. Use to be people lived in closer proximity of most of their relatives and one could go to them quite quickly if need be. That of course has not been the case for a long while, thanks be for the internet and selfies!! My only child lives 12 hours away, not too far but during this pandemic it certainly feels like she is on another planet since we're not traveling anywhere. Tony and all the healthcare workers have my utmost admiration for what they do each day, they should all be given medals of valor! Hugs from NC, KittyAnn
ReplyDeleteTechnology is wonderful for keeping everyone connected at times like this. Stay healthy and safe! We will get through this.
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