Most days I wake up, make coffee and go straight back to my room. My mom will follow after me, but I always make sure to keep my distance. My mom has been in healthcare all of my life, but I have never been worried until now. If she’s at home, I make an effort to make sure we don’t eat, drink, or touch anything that’s the same. My mom will come home and tell me what it’s like outside now.

She started out not too worried about this whole thing. “It’ll pass, and we’ll all be fine.” Slowly I’ve watched her buy more reusable masks, her worry about seeing my grandparents, to her being more strict about what I’m allowed to do. This is the part that scared me the most. Rules have never been too strict in my house, and it’s odd to see them all change and actually be enforced. I never thought that I would ever have to think about not being too close to my mom in my life, and it threw me for a loop.

I see posts from some of my friends of them hanging out at the park, or just going on a walk with each other. I would love to be able to join, but I can’t risk anything. Even though I do make sure

I’m far enough from my family that still is out working, I can never be too careful. I remember one day, my mom wanted me to completely clean out my room. She had to work late that night, and I was excited to show her my brand new room. She got home and I asked her to check it out. She told me that I wasn’t allowed to be in the room with her and that she didn’t want me to come near her. I think that’s when reality struck me like a bat. My mom, who was once not worried about this virus, was not letting me come close to her at all. I stood in the hallway while she looked at my room that night. That’s when I realized the complete severity of this pandemic, and how my family is being treated with it. I never thought I would have to think twice about being around my own mother.