Dear Month One Quarantine Sonni,

Hey girl! How’s it going?! Wait, don’t answer that!!Listen, honey. We gotta talk. Set down the homemade soda bread recipe and give a spell of rest to your well-intentioned mind as it tries to decide which remote workout app will give you the best biceps. (Also, you still don’t have biceps.)Five months down the road–that’s where we are, five months! I know, crazy right?!–things are much the same. I know you’re reading a whole lot right now about how important it is to self-quarantine in the name of preventing the spread of this awful virus, and I really want to tell you it worked! The world’s efforts helped! But… well… at least in Florida, *insert shrug*.You’re stockpiling groceries. Batteries. Toilet paper. (Well, not too much, because you’re not an inconsiderate hoarding asshat!)You’re powering through homeschooling and every time your kids ask, “How much longer do we have to stay inside because of coronavirus, Mommy??” you say, optimistically, “Hopefully only a couple more weeks!”

Here are a couple of things you need to know about the present state of affairs so as to prevent you from investing your precious energy in places that don’t need it. Take notes!

1 – The world isn’t going to run out of toilet paper.

…I know, right?! Like, HOW??? Every Target and Publix is currently wiped out (no pun intended!) of their supply and weirdly enough, people are having legitimate fist fights over paper products right now in your local Aisle 9. But don’t worry, sis! The world won’t run out. You’re good as long as you have like, five extra rolls handy.

2 – Your optimism is misplaced. Kind of.

So… not to be all Debbie Downer… but as it turns out, when they say “pandemic,” they mean “pandemic!!!” As in the THE WORLDWIDE SPREAD AND PROLIFERATION of a dangerous virus.It didn’t go away as quickly as you, and everyone, hoped. Things are going to remain locked down for a while. Many vacations will be cancelled and postponed, and recreational life as we know and love it–with dinners out, and happy hours, and days spent wandering parks and attractions, will all still be, if not gone, at least vastly altered.You’ll soon see how normal it all of a sudden seems to stand 6 feet from the person nearest you at the store. And you’ll invest a shit ton in masks that your kid will likely drop on the floor and step all over, to which you will ask (and ask and ask), Why can’t you just keep that thing on your face?!But! You’ll realize by this point that that’s just how things are right now. Which brings us to Number 3.

3 – Even though you’ll hate most of it, most of the time, you will adjust to The New Normal.

The New Normal looks like this: Lots of space. The inability to see strangers’ expressions as their faces are covered in masks. Time spent inside (SO. MUCH. TIME.) Likely, more time on electronics for your kids. (SO. MUCH. TIME.) Altered work schedules. Lots of screaming at your kids to be quiet because you’re trying, usually unsuccessfully, to be productive from home. (Forgive yourself for this.) And questions. So. Many. Questions.I’ll tell you this, love–something that’s the same here as it is there. We still don’t have many answers about this damn virus.What we do have? An ability to adapt to uncertainty, and embrace the moment, like we never have before. We have learned to trust our guts, our intuitions, again, to make big decisions. We have community like we haven’t had in such a long time!When kids wander outside, they chalk draw on sidewalks with neighbors–because when the parks and stores and play rooms are closed, we do what we were meant to do all along. Just be. Together.

4 – You will have the most insane appreciation for teachers. Like, you’ll never again take for granted these should-be-sainted individuals who care for and educate our children daily.

Because home schooling? F’ing BONKERS.And most importantly…

5 – You, my dear, and all of us–just like the theme song of the Mary Tyler Moore Show said–are gonna make it after all.

This version of You still isn’t through the woods yet. Hell, we’re about to get into a whole new chapter of unknown as we go back to school. But you’ll see soon just how resilient you, and everyone else, really is.We find ways to get through. And when we don’t find ways, we find people. And those people–in small moments, short interactions, moments of humor and grace–will remind you the one big thing that’s been true since the beginning of this all. That we’re all in this together. And when there is little else to give us comfort, at least we have that.Stay safe, stay strong, stay sane. I’ll see you on the other side, no matter how long it takes.