A glimpse into your neighbors’ lives during coronavirus.
(Click on each card to read stories)
April 5, 2020
Pandemic Motherhood.
I feel like a new mother again with a fresh newborn in my arms, breathing in life for the first time.
Anxiety and love swirling around me.
Mourning the life I had.
Terrified of the life created.
Only now I can’t call my best friend up for tangible advice. She flounders like me. Putting one foot in front of the other. Barely hanging on depending on the day or time.
I can’t call my mother up for the tips and tricks she used in the last social distancing effort.
She isn’t teeming with advice on how to get through the next day, the next hour, the next minute without pulling her hair out and crying or screaming or hiding every other day because a virus was knocking at her door and keeping her from those she loved when we were kids.
This isn’t about just me, I realize, but gosh … I feel like I just clawed my way out of postpartum depression and anxiety only to be trapped indoors again. Trapped in my mind again.
Trapped.
Trying to keep my spirits up while helping my toddler navigate the muck of this dirty world.
Trying to keep a smile on my face.
Trying to keep security in my embrace with him.
Trying to keep my temper and patience and fear in check.
Trying. Trying. Trying.
Trying to BREATHE.
I want the world to be safe for him. But every day I realize more and more that the only safety I can offer him is myself and this home.
If I have learned anything, it’s that we really don’t have control.
It is an illusion.
So I can either fight it or learn to accept it.
I’m trying to choose acceptance but it is a hard fight. It’s hard and scary to realize what little control I actually have. And that is definitely something I am gradually coming to terms with and learning to temper.
So I may lose my patience, I may yell a little more, I may feel fear and shed a few more tears than I normally do. But that means I am GROWING. I am LEARNING. I am ADAPTING.
So as I sanitize and scrub my family’s hands until they are raw. As I put down the phone more often to avoid bad news and propaganda. As I pivot and turn to Zoom Happy Hours and FaceTimes...
I will come out the other side of this better and stronger than before heading in.
And in the meantime, I will practice grace and patience and grace and fear and grace and grace and grace.
(Pictured: Jess McGun with her son, Owen.)
April 2, 2020
The COVID-19 outbreak has put a lot of things on hold for me artistically but it has also forced me to take a moment to breathe. I had been working and traveling a lot to get my album done that I wasn't taking enough time to relax. While I'd rather be in the studio finishing my album or working on things for my label, I have taken this time to start exercising again and planning for the rest of 2020. I pray for the victims of the COVID-19 virus and their families and I hope that things will get back to normal soon. In the meantime, art doesn't stop, love doesn't stop, and humanity doesn't stop and we could use a lot of those things in the world right now.
April 6, 2020
During the coronavirus outbreak I have been focused on keeping my family, friends and community safe. My husband and I clean the house weekly. We are both essential workers (my organization does delivery for the elderly and he works at the mill) so we do go outside when needed. Upon coming home (after work), I clean our shoes, wash hands and the clothes we were wearing. That may seem a little overboard but, our 16-year-old daughter has severe asthma so we must be safe. We have masks and gloves as well. The work I am doing in the community with the coronavirus has kept me busy. I am the co-founder and executive director of Take Action Mon Valley. My organization does delivery to the elderly and the disabled. In addition, a transportation assistance program through Cash App etc. A majority of my time is spent organizing those programs and doing deliveries. Moreover, I have used Zoom a lot more to communicate with loved ones. This is different for me because typically, I would just text. Now, I prefer to talk via phone or Zoom.
March 19, 2020
Lu Xinyu, University of Pittsburgh Class of 2020, 23 years old
“I feel like I’m in a bubble. I don’t know where to go,” Lu Xinyu said. “The social media is not doing anything good for us, just adding on to it with anxiety.”
Xinyu, a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, is an international student from China who had looked forward to earning her degree in psychology and communications until graduation was indefinitely postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19. But she’s not as upset about that as her parents and other family in China who wanted to see her walk across the big stage.
Instead, Xinyu is more worried about the backlash international students are facing, including harassment online from people who erroneously believe Chinese people are “at fault” for the pandemic.
When Xinyu commented about her disapproval of President Donald Trump’s labelling of COVID-19 as “the Chinese virus” on a BBC News facebook post, dozens of people responded with ridicule and attacks against Chinese people and their culture. Many of them accused her and her people of “eating everything,” including cats, dogs and rats.
She hadn’t even mentioned that she was an international student from China; they assumed and attacked upon seeing her Chinese username. Since then, she has been anxious and reluctant about sharing her given name with people for fear of how they will react to her race. She finds it overwhelming to defend herself when met with such displays of racism that garner upwards of 200 likes or laughing reactions on social media. Some people even continued their attacks through her direct messages, Xinyu said.
“I try to forget about the comments,” she said. “But I’m still angry about them saying that I’m eating cats and dogs — even if people are afraid” of COVID-19.
Xinyu’s friend, who is also a Chinese international student, was told by her roommate not to come back to her apartment after spring break. Xinyu needs to renew her visa for the summer, but visa appointments have become difficult to schedule. And a flight she would typically take to get to Shanghai has nearly doubled in price. She said the flight time would be almost 24 hours because of COVID-19’s impact on airlines.
Xinyu worries about the future of China and the United States.
“I can hope that it doesn’t, but I think that this is going to harm the relationship we have with the U.S.”
-Written by PublicSource intern Grace McGinness
March 30, 2020
I wish I could say that COVID-19 has created a moment to shut down, but it has been the opposite. Since the [stay at home] order, I have been working to finish my MSW (Master of Social Work) coursework so I can graduate on time while working and volunteering with PGHmutualaid [http://pittsburghmutualaid.com] to make sure people can have their needs met because the resources are not there community wide. My days start at 8 a.m. walking my dog, then I am on my computer or phone all day with Zoom calls and trainings. Everything is remote now, and I am blessed to have resources and support that allow me to stay connected digitally. I miss not being able to connect with friends and family members in person. It is very hard to NOT interact in-person as an extrovert, but being able to help is what is keeping me going.
(Pictured: Miracle Jones is on the right.)
March 24, 2020
Laura Dunhoff's partner, Sue Kerr, wrote in about their experience caring for stray animals during the pandemic:
We are pet owners (cats and a dog), a foster home with four kittens and caretakers of two homeless cat colonies — 23 animals total give or take. When COVID-19 was identified in the United States, I doubled our monthly order of pet food anticipating shortages or shipment delays. The permanent caretakers of one cat colony are in Europe and were due back April; we have no idea how long they will be delayed. It’s been at least 20 days as of this writing, so that commitment goes on indefinitely. We asked friends to chip in with the extra pet food needed to care for this colony of six cats. The site has no water or electricity so we have to carry everything with us each day.
Two of our foster kittens are fighting a virus, meaning five trips to the vet clinic in 20 days so far. They need fluids and IV meds. I’m self-isolating because I have asthma and that has made it impossible to try to trap the mama & papa; there are likely going to be more kittens in the neighborhood soon unless I can find a volunteer to trap these two. Volunteers with Pittsburgh Cat Adoption Team [facebook.com/pittsburghcat] are going to amazing lengths to help cats in care now while preparing for the onset of kitten season. Folks are making decisions to leave pets at shelters based on the faulty notion that cats and dogs can transmit COVID-19, creating more stress for an already exhausted group of helpers.
We are crowdfunding to support these homeless & foster critters as well as to try to TNR (trap-neuter-return) the mama and papa. The donations reduce the burden on groups like Pittsburgh CAT. and the Homeless Cat Management Team. If you can help, here is how: https://www.facebook.com/donate/3682039375169564/
Before you decide to surrender your pet, call your vet and get good information on human-animal transmission.
(Pictured: Sue's partner, Laura Dunhoff, at home surrounded by family pets and foster cats: Coco, Precious, Ana, Kinzua, and Maisel.)
March 21, 2020
Odessa Welch is an 86-year-old Shadyside resident.
She shared the following with PublicSource community correspondent Jourdan Hicks:
“I’m a busybody. I’m nebby. I like to see what everybody else is doing. I’m going crazy, but I’m in here. Inside.
“Everybody’s telling me, ‘You better stay in the house.’ They’ll call the house and ask, ‘Are you in the house?’ and I tell ’em, ‘Didn’t you call the house?’ People have their nerve running out all over the place. Ain’t nothing in those stores nohow. I get my exercise walking around my building. I walk down the hall to get the mail. I go downstairs by the laundry and come back up the steps two or three times. I’m inside. And I’m OK with that. This ain’t no hoax.”
March 19, 2020
A thought occurred to me this morning to try to think of things that are still normal and totally unaffected by COVID-19.
Spring is here. The world still continues to turn and the seasons will march on. The virus can't stop that.
The daffodils are up and about to begin blooming. The forsythia will be bursting out in a day or two. The virus can't stop that.
The birds are singing, more and more each day. Pretty soon, they will begin building their nests. The virus can't stop that.
My dog, that I bred back in the beginning of February, will be having puppies in a few weeks. The virus can't stop that.
My personal outlook is trying to stay positive and thankful for what I have. The virus can't stop that.
Take this new time we have with our families to strengthen our bonds. Or if you are older, use this time to read, figure out ways you can help. You have talents that someone can benefit from. Do what makes you happy.
We are so fortunate to have many older ways such as writing letters and now technological ways to stay connected from the telephone, the internet, and computers where we can see each other. I have loved the photos of families visiting with people in facilities that have been closed. They are sitting outside the window and talking on the phone. Humans are innovative.
I am trying to understand and think of ways to help mitigate the financial impact on those with low wages and those who are now unemployed. Every effort to try to move forward rather than bemoaning our plights will help us get to the back side of this virus. We will be a better people afterward. There are a lot of lessons everyone is learning during this crisis.
One great idea I read was to keep a journal. Preferably handwritten, but it could also be typed on the computer. Just be sure to print it out periodically. The point was that decades and centuries from now historians and future generations will be able to read firsthand experiences.
April 3, 2020
Work. Class. Studying. Remote field learning. Too much screen time. Some days I forget to eat even though I'm on my couch. Some days, I do nothing but sleep with my cats. I'm slowly losing my patience with this and with people. My eyes are tired, my body is too. I try to work out to trick myself into thinking that is why I'm fatigued; it doesn't work. So, some days I just lay with my cats and process how grateful I am for my health, for work, for school. Then I mourn not being in the office, not walking [across the stage] for my Masters in April, not being able to be with my family. I remember to eat those days. And I drink water to remind myself that it could be worse. And it is, somewhere.
(Pictured: India Hunter’s cats Mushu and Coen.)
March 20, 2020
Jordon Williams of the North Side wrote in about her son's experience during the pandemic:
The stay-at-home order has been tough for my 8-year-old kiddo with special needs. We are thankful for NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts and a makeshift home “office” to engage and inspire peace. Jacob has a love of all things office related and music really soothes him. Tiny Desk is a perfect mash up of two interests that provide him with solace in uncertain times.
(Pictured: Jordon Williams' son Jacob.)
March 18, 2020
Our spirits will stay strong if we look at this trial and trauma as an opportunity to reassess the importance of simplifying our lives and realizing what is truly important. Being healthy is at the top of the list, of course, but also spending time unwinding from the "dirty world" and refreshing one's soul. Ugly sides to all of this will surface, of course, but just the fact that we are communicating with each other tells us that we are not alone, that we have a support system in place, that we share fears and fun with people and keep on living. This is about more than just avoiding the virus; this is about discovering who we are deep down. I say we're fine, because we exhibit a strong will, good personal characteristics and the need to give as well as get comfort. Both of these factors are important. Me? I am doing some reading, experimenting with some ethnic recipes and staying in touch. Most importantly, I am taking this time to plan my garden. I anticipate canning and freezing what I grow. It doesn't get much better than that. When you plant a garden, you believe in the future.
April 7, 2020
“I feel good. I mostly stay in the house. Except for going shopping and taking my wife to work and picking her up. She does home health. I’m retired. She’s very good at it. I check in with my friends, family and church family. It’s good to hear their voices. Our church is planning to try out a virtual church. Virtual church is still having service, but there’s nothing like getting together and fellowshipping. I’m just so excited to see everybody. Many of our church events have been canceled into the summer. I doubt that’ll be reversed.
We have to be safe. Nobody wants this stuff.”
—Compiled by PublicSource community correspondent Jourdan Hicks
April 7, 2020
“I went to the doctor’s the other day last week. My friend took me. I usually go to the senior center during the week but it’s closed. I heard they’re giving out lunch there three times a week, but I won’t even go out for that. There’s also lunch being given out in the community room in my building. I don’t leave my house for that either. I talk to my lady friends on the phone and relax. I’m doing just fine inside.”
—Compiled by PublicSource community correspondent Jourdan Hicks
April 6, 2020
“Something that I’ve been thinking about is how we’ll all come out of this. It’ll be interesting. I’ve never been a germaphobe. But now more than ever, I don’t want to touch anything. I can’t imagine after this that all of a sudden, we’ll all be OK with being in crowds again. I hope time will allow for an adjustment period once this is over.”
—Compiled by PublicSource community correspondent Jourdan Hicks
April 23, 2020
“All we have is hope. Hope, positivity and self-care. All we can do for ourselves is self-care and making sure we’re checking up on other people. Being good neighbors and recognize that people all over the world are being affected by this. Poor people, disabled people, Black people, all people. We all need to recognize that everyone deserves adequate care.”
—Compiled by PublicSource community correspondent Jourdan Hicks
April 28, 2020
Pre-coronavirus, I was always so busy, always on the go and finding myself with anxiety. Now it's the time to chill, but I'm still finding myself with anxiety. Every day I wake up early because of the baby, and I have a full list of things I want to accomplish. I've been working since I was 14. I've been having to be productive and make money for myself since then. I’m co-owner of a gym. I work at a spa. I think I’ve trained my mind to be busy. Recently, I was doing some research on my phone and I read that busyness is a trauma-based way of dealing with things; you are occupying your thoughts with things you can accomplish rather than what's actually bothering you.
Jared (her partner) always reminds me that when I'm back to work, I’ll be wishing I had more time. I’m evolving and I know that I’m evolving through this and I’ll evolve into the new reality we’ll all have to get used to.
—Compiled by PublicSource community correspondent Jourdan Hicks
