“Suddenly I could see people’s eyes. Almost all had masks on. No one was chitchatting or smiling. Was that a cough? I swear I just heard a cough? Yup. Glare. She should not be out in public right now? There were no couples, no one leisurely strolling around with a cup of Starbucks in hand. Not today.”
‘Can you move out of the way?’ Everyone in the store stopped what they were doing, looked up. It was the first voice I’d heard in 20 minutes.’: Woman details ‘awkward’ shopping experience during pandemic, ‘This has changed us’
‘I thought it was allergies. It started with a dry cough and the slightest tickle in my throat. I didn’t think twice.’: Woman explains how to navigate coronavirus diagnosis while battling anxiety
“It was a waiting game to see if I’d need to seek medical care. My fever broke, and I was starting to feel better. Then, a new wave of symptoms came. It had moved into my chest for the first time, and it felt like there were a ton of bricks lying on me. The trajectory was a roller coaster. “
‘Kerri, get a grip!’ the doctor said. I could only take Tylenol after surgery. I was sure I was going to die.’: Woman with arthrogryposis muscle disorder says ‘nothing is impossible with a fighter’s soul’
“I looked like a pretzel, but my mom wasn’t able to hold me for hours. Doctors started discussing ‘options.’ They told her I wouldn’t be able to do much. They said I would be better off if my parents decided to sign me over to the state. My mom immediately asked to be transferred.”
‘The doctor passed along his last words: ‘I love my grandkids.’ It was unreal how fast the virus took him.’: Woman shares ode to father lost to coronavirus, ‘I will make him proud’
“Just 2 days before, we were laughing and making plans for summer. He was excited about his stimulus check because he wanted to buy the grandkids something nice, and a portable oxygen machine so he could travel to visit us. It was always his dream to come here and see the ocean for the first time. He spoke of it every day. Now, I had to tell my children their Pap, their best friend, was gone.”
‘If I ever catch someone in my newsfeed talking about doctors being ‘bought by big pharma’ again I’ll shoot lasers from my eyes.’: Woman defends healthcare workers. ‘Remember that they showed up, every day’
“Don’t talk about health care heroes right now, post a few memes, then in a few more months go back to trashing the profession. Remember who you leaned on in times of crisis. Remember who showed up, even as their colleagues were dying.”
‘I was the superficial party girl. I lost my fabulous cleavage and all my beautiful hair, the two things I felt made me beautiful.’: Woman finds self-love after battle with breast cancer, ‘It gave me the kick I needed to transform’
“I wasted most of life achieving nothing. There was no dancing on the bar with cleavage showing and crazy, curly hair. I had to find another way to make myself happy, I had nowhere else to look but within myself.”
‘Please. I have nowhere to quarantine. I just need something to eat.’ This man didn’t want a mask or hand sanitizer. He just wanted food.’: Woman urges ‘don’t forget about our homeless brothers and sisters’
“Today I broke quarantine for the first time to go to the ATM. From first glance, I could tell he did not have a home. His clothes were tattered and soaked. This man didn’t want hand sanitizer. He didn’t want toilet paper, gloves, or even a mask. He just wanted food. Something we’ve all stocked up on ourselves. My heart broke for him.”
‘This was NOT in the plan. Everyone was supposed to stay home.’ His daughter had been to Walmart and the grocery store a few days prior.’: Stepmom urges ‘keep everyone as safe as you possibly can’
“I could tell they were having a heated conversation. I took the boys to the backyard and waited. His hands were shaky as he called her mom and said she had to come to pick her up. I was so frustrated. Here he was, telling his daughter she has to go home before she even gets out of the car.”
‘For the mom who isn’t sure she can make it another day inside her house…you’re doing this beautifully.’: Mom says ‘hold tight, we’ll get through this together’
“You got out of bed this morning. You fed your children and took care of your responsibilities. Maybe you took a shower and got yourself ready. That’s courage, mama. You were chosen for this moment, for such a time as this.”
‘This isn’t the time to be stirring up legal arguments — for your sake, but mostly for your stepkids. This part of their lives will be in history books.’: Mom says co-parenting during the pandemic is a pivotal moment, ‘Allow it to bring you together’
“Maybe your stepkids are with you right now. Maybe they’re with their mom and she would prefer not to send them back to you. When everything calms down, if you feel you’re entitled to ‘make up time’ or you’ve overpaid child support to help your ex through tough times, you can address it then.”