In March 2020, I was visiting my husband at his skilled nursing facility, and a nurse informed me that I would no longer be able to come by because of the pandemic. I drove home, worried about my husband and wondering how I would spend my time during the shelter-in-place orders.
I am not one to initiate phone calls (except to my husband, whom I talked to daily), so I decided to call people for their birthdays. I phoned a neighbor who had cancer. He expressed his delight at receiving birthday wishes. I called members of my family and my church, as well as people from civic organizations I belong to. Although I hadn’t talked to some of my relatives in as long as a decade, everyone seemed touched by my call.
I phoned one of my nieces on her birthday. She said her mom, whom I hadn’t spoken to since she and my brother divorced decades ago, would love to hear from me. I was nervous to call after so much time had passed, but I’m glad I did. Catching up with my former sister-in-law was such a pleasure.
These phone calls have helped me reconnect with so many people I care about. An unexpected blessing of the pandemic.
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