A complicated month
The most adorable face on the most adorable human.
Here I am, finally reunited with my family. Everything within our walls is perfect. Everything on the outside is terrifying.
Wow, it’s November and the last several weeks have been a wild f@%$ing ride.
A month ago I was still operating Coast to Coast Cuts, cutting hair 40-50 hours a week, and spending my weekends curling hair and fastening updos for brides and their closest friends and family. Fast forward three weeks and I’m hunkered down visiting with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew, barely leaving their rental house in Katama.
Cases are currently surging everywhere, including Martha’s Vineyard, despite us having made it out of a busy, visitor packed summer. Threat of an increase in cases come this time of year has been looming. The cooler weather is here, having brought many indoors and community spread is upon us.
Earlier this week Cronigs closed because over a dozen people tested positive, an essential business that has provided so much in the wake of this pandemic. My heart hurts for them. In other recent local news all Island schools postponed additional in-person instruction. While cases continue to rise here, and everywhere, I still feel extremely safe and grateful for all this island haven offers.
But things are definitely moving backwards and the winter looks grim. Other local businesses are reverting to their early COVID policies, closing early for the season or proactively closing or taking a break to help break the opportunity for community spread.
I cancelled all of my hair clients this week out of an abundance of caution, I’m just not feeling right about touching people, no matter how much PPE. And I’ll be honest, as much as I like my job and making money I’d rather playing with Mason any. day. of. the. year.
When we weren’t consumed by rising COVID cases we’ve been trying to wrap our head around the state of American democracy that feels forever tarnished thanks to our sitting president who continues to refuse to conceded that Joe Biden won the election, threatening our national security a little more each day. We waited five days before a call was made in a race that was far, far too tight. A race that made me feel incredibly estranged from and overwhelmingly disappointed in half of our country. A race that is still in contest with both sides having a hard time celebrating and finding common ground.
It is an ugly, sad state of affairs in this country and Americans have nothing to be proud of. We can only hope that we can find a way to unify and to value the act of respecting one another again.
But while the world continues to spiral into chaos my day to day life is actually pretty wonderful. For weeks I anticipated the arrival of my sister Kristina and her family and alas they are here. I get to play house with them every day, having moved into the guest suite at their rental so I could keep my FOMO in check ;)
I spend my days ogling Mason and soaking up all the joy that he brings. He’s seriously the sweetest kid ever and I could listen to his laugh on repeat. I will continue to enjoy every moment of it and remind myself how grateful I am to, again, be able to spend so much time with my family when many others are unable.
Best recent moment: Hugging Mason and my sister after almost a year. It was a bunch of love-filled magic I will never forget.
Second best moment: Hearing that Biden had been confirmed as the winner of the presidential election while at the Caldwell’s campground house. The news was made even sweeter by the fact we heard it from friends who stopped to tell us while we played outside, not via my phone or the television, but live and in person.
Most frustrating times: The week of the election. I woke up on Wednesday, in the middle of the night to a notification that the Associated Press had called a particular state for Biden but in my sleepy fog I read it as the United States. So my glimmer of hope quickly faded into another day of sulking and trying to grapple with how divided our country is. The day after the election Kristina knew I was having a rough day and brought Mason over to lift my spirits while I was still in bed. Toddler therapy is real!
A COVID friendly memory I don’t want to forget: Working a lesbian wedding at the Captain Flanders House before my family game. Watching a close knit group of family and friends celebrate something so, so beautiful. It was a glimpse at normalcy in an otherwise very abnormal time. It was refreshing to be reminded of the before times. To see people still coming (safely) together to rejoice in love.