Maria, congratulations! Happy news in al this chaos is such a breath of fresh air. Life goes on, two good people build a life together. That's so important and so happy-making. MedicGuy is a lucky guy indeed, and with such a good taste!
ND and Pix - I wish there were anything I could do other than keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. It's such a hard time for everybody, but harder for some.
Strix, I hope all goes well with you're mother's procedure, its results, and all that's involved in that. And you.
meara, welcome home! In your honor, I do a (little) meara!
Kate, Trudy, Sophis, Sue, Laura, Zen, suela, aurelia, -t, sj, Hil, amyparker, lisah, Theo, Katerina Bee, billytea, Fiona, Una, bennett, Rick, dcp, Sue, Dana, Calli, Tom, Toddson, Fred, sparky, hippocampus, Beverly, Atropa, Gris, Epic, sarameg, Debet, PMM, Vortex, Matt, msbelle, Amy, Jesse, Jessica, flea, DxM, shrift, askye, Sheryl, Cindy, Cash, Hec, JZ, Teppy, Shir - oh, goodness, all of you. Sorry if I've missed your name in my quick scroll. You too.
I just wish there were anything, anything at all, that any one of us could do, to just make things a little easier. A little less scary and difficult. I mean, for me, part of it is you. I'm still in quarantine (until Thursday evening) and I have been for a week now. It's so difficult, and yet during this time of being alone in a room, not being able to touch any other human being, not being able to be there for my family, for PiBoy and Pi++Girl, I can reach out to all over the world and be as not-alone as one possibly can while still alone in a room. And it's not just a technical matter. It's much more meaningful and emtional.
I find that the longer the quarantine, the more I become a needy needing-outside-approval needy of a sap. I let go more and more of the technical stuff, because really there's nothing I can do from in here, and I have to trust the emotional well-being of these two wonderful children that are supposed to be in my care, the care I'm not allowed to give right now.
So I'm alone in a room without my immediate family, because that's the responsible thing to do for the bigger - well, not family. But still. For the bigger community. My town, my countly, the whole world. It's that big. And in being alone, one person behind a closed door in one room, that's what is actually connecting me to the ever-growing circles of the outside world. And you.
And now, I should return to learning how to efficiently teach online. Connect to my student and fellow lecturers, as well, I guess.
Thank you, all, for being here. Take care.