Like most people, my family and I are getting a bit tired of staying at home.
I live with my sister, who has been working from home, and my daughter, who is less thanthrilled about my sister working from home.
Three women. One house.
Sure we’re family. Sure, we love each other. Sure, we probably would have been quicker to admit that we do before these past few months of togetherness.
I’ve shared in the past that I come from a large family. I have 10 brothers and four sisters. I remember once, a long time ago — probably on a day when my sisters were fighting, because that was most days — my mother told me she would rather have 10 more boys than another girl.
Why?
“Because boys will fight, get it out of their systems and be done with it. Girls hold grudges,” she told me.
Come to think of it, when my sister and I were fighting just the other night, she brought up that time when I was about 8 years old and I squirted hand lotion in her mouth. That was about 40 years ago.
Maybe Mom was right.
In this time since the “stay at home” order was put in place, I can tell you my sister talks too loudly, my daughter talks to herself and I am the “lucky” one for being an essential worker who goes to the office every day.
We have a stack of board games and multiple puzzles. There are coloring books for adults (no, Mom, not that kind of “adult” books) and puzzle books and television shows and movies.
And there’s nothing on. And nothing to do.
I think even Kevin and Alistair — my plants, which are thriving by the way — want to be anywhere else.
I go home from work at night to find my sister asleep in front of the television and my daughter playing a video game in her room. I quietly sneak through the door, hoping to make it to my room before anyone notices.
“Do you know what your daughter did today?” my sister will say as I’m halfway through the room. Sigh. My plan was thwarted. And then my daughter will hear us talking, and come downstairs to tell me how annoying her aunt has been.
When the weekend arrives, and I dare ask a question of the homebound duo, I feel like a zebra in the sights of a pride of lions. “You know, people like you, make people like me, want to …” my sister will start. “At least you get to leave sometimes,” my daughter will say, “I have to hear her all day.”
And then the fighting starts.
I share this goodnaturedly (although I’m sure my sister will disagree) to make a point. Yes, everyone has had it with the major life disruptions caused by this deadly virus. And yes, most people are at the quick-tempered point. But in my house, we work at staying home.
Why? Because all three of us have health conditions that put us in a high-risk group. My worst fear isn’t necessarily catching this virus myself, but seeing my actions put someone I love at risk.
Because of my daughter’s lifelong health struggles, we’ve always carried hand sanitizer and wipes. Because of my own health struggles, I’ve had a breathing mask for more than a year. Most of these precautions are ways of life for people with health concerns.
Even before all of this, we didn’t go a lot of places because of these health concerns. I think it’s being told we can’t go that is causing the stir-craziness.
I’m guessing that by the time we’re allowed to leave the house again, one of us will be living on each floor of the house, doing our best to avoid the other two. But we’ll make do. Because as annoyed as we all are with each other, I would much rather have the two of them here to annoy me than have lost them to a dangerous virus because I put my wants in front of their health.
(Marcie Schellhammer is the Era’s assistant managing editor. She can be reached at marcie@bradfordera.com.)
