The Friday before everything shut down my engagement ring broke. I was at work with my hands in my back pocket when I felt something odd. I pulled the foreign object out and find it to be the biggest diamond from my ring. I searched on the carpet around where I was standing and in the folds of my pocket trying to hopefully find the last of the tiny diamonds.
That weekend, the first without my engagement ring in close to 10 years, was the last time things were normal. Thursday night, the night before it happened, was Elley's first soccer practice. She had so much fun and was so excited about playing a season with all her friends from school. Friday night was Bear's first tball game. The atmosphere around the ballpark was electric and the Boy couldn't help but look forward to the many nights and weekends we'd likely be there spent watching our kids play.
Saturday Elley was double-booked for birthday parties. The first was a pancakes and bowling party. Bowling first and then decorate your own pancake. She went with sprinkles, syrup, and strawberries. Ending the party by playing video games and spending seemingly houses trying to redeem her tickets for the perfect item. The party was at the mall and I thought about dropping my ring off to be repaired. But we were running late and needed to meet the Boy and Bear for lunch, so I decided I'd do it another time.
Later that afternoon, we had a party of the "Jump-y Place." It's the number one place we go for parties and still after all this time, she loves it, especially the balloon drop. Several girls from Elley's soccer team were there as well as the coach, who talked about his game plan for the season to come.
Sunday Elley went to Hebrew School in the morning. They got to make Hamentaschen that day in anticipation of the following week's Purim carnival. Even Monday things were still normal and Bear got to dress up as a dragon for his school's Purim party.
But by the end of the week, things week different. Soccer practice was canceled on Thursday night. Tball was canceled on Friday night. The St. Patrick's Day parade was canceled on Saturday. The Purim carnival on Sunday was canceled. Elley went home from school on Friday with a bunch of worksheets and a letter that an e-mail would be sent the following week outlining the next month of distance learning. Saturday I went into work to pick up supplies for working from home.
That Friday, I never would have guessed that two months later we'd still be home. The soccer season has been canceled. The rest of the year of school moved online. We've even had Hebrew School online sessions. Here in Louisiana things are finally starting to reopen, although we haven't yet ventured out, except for one of us heading to the grocery store.
It's hard to imagine what life is going to be like going forward. How will sports for kids happen? Or professional sports for that matter? What will school be like in the Fall? Even if it's in person, my heard breaks a little thinking that Elley may not get to see some of her closest friends if they aren't in her class and aren't able to play with other classes. It's just so hard with so much unknown.
And still I have my broken engagement ring waiting in a zip lock back in my purse. Maybe eventually things will be back to normal enough where it's worth bringing it somewhere to be fixed. But in some ways, it kind of matches the rest of the world, broken, waiting to be put back together.
