Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Today is the first time I do not need to tell my older daughter, Megan, to make good choices on her birthday. Since the state of Colorado still has a stay-at-home order, Megan does not have the opportunity to make bad choices. Today is Megan’s 25th birthday. I now have two children at least a quarter century old. Yesterday and this morning, I kept acting like I did not remember today was Megan’s birthday. I kept talking about another exciting point about today. Megan was not buying it. I am having Megan’s dad pick up a cake for her after he gets off work. Megan will be extremely disappointed if she gets here tonight and there is not any chocolate cake waiting for her.
Megan might be able to start back to her massage job next week. We are not certain how jobs will play out next week when our stay-at-home order expires Sunday night. I would not be surprised if some people who have a stash of fireworks choose to set them off at midnight Monday morning. Non-essential businesses may open Monday with restrictions. Bars, restaurants, and other businesses that encourage large groups, are not allowed to open Monday. Massage was not specifically addressed on the news, but the massage therapists I spoke to today thought they could open Monday.
I do not think Megan plans to go back to work as a massage therapist so soon. I understand how a massage therapist could protect their client adequately, but how can the massage therapist be protected? It will be difficult to give a massage to someone wearing a mask. I think it will be extremely hard for a client to breathe through the little face hole wearing a mask, and I think the N95 masks are still difficult to get.
The reason Megan would wait to start her massage job is my health. We would like to think the stay-at-home order is being lifted because new COVID-19 cases are not being discovered any more. Unfortunately, I do not think that is the reason, neither does Megan. Megan does not want to get me sick. Part of the reason Megan does not want me to get sick is if I go into the hospital, she does not have a job, but the other reason is she really loves me, and I am in the high risk for death group.
Whatever Megan chooses when the time comes, we will make it work even if she needs to shower before she can touch me. I do not expect we will need to resort to showers, but one never knows. People may not even want to get massages right away. Close physical contact for long periods of time is one of the best ways to spread COVID-19 so many people may decide massages are too risky. Time will tell.
Megan’s roommates are going to get takeout food for her tonight, so she will have a little celebration with friends. Megan will probably end up with two chocolate cakes, one at her house and one at our house. It will be like she fell asleep and woke up in chocolate cake heaven.
Megan was my “baby” for a lot of years and even though she is now the “unloved” middle child, I love her very much. Megan tries to throw in the unloved middle child line as much as she can, but when you are already 17 when you become the middle child, that argument simply does not fly. Megan insists she is my favorite child because of a statement I made when we were in Dallas together alone when she was 12 or 13. Megan does not remember my exact words, so she cannot use them against me. I do remember my words and maybe, if I ever start recording goodbye videos again, I will gift Megan those words after I pass. Perhaps not, it would be fun to die knowing Megan will wonder until she dies many, many years from now.
My piece of advice to you is to celebrate your children as much as you can. I decided that for at least her birthday, I could dedicate an entire journal entry to Megan so she can see I really can focus on her and only her. Tomorrow Megan can be the unloved middle child again.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
Today is the first time I do not need to tell my older daughter, Megan, to make good choices on her birthday. Since the state of Colorado still has a stay-at-home order, Megan does not have the opportunity to make bad choices. Today is Megan’s 25th birthday. I now have two children at least a quarter century old. Yesterday and this morning, I kept acting like I did not remember today was Megan’s birthday. I kept talking about another exciting point about today. Megan was not buying it. I am having Megan’s dad pick up a cake for her after he gets off work. Megan will be extremely disappointed if she gets here tonight and there is not any chocolate cake waiting for her.
Megan might be able to start back to her massage job next week. We are not certain how jobs will play out next week when our stay-at-home order expires Sunday night. I would not be surprised if some people who have a stash of fireworks choose to set them off at midnight Monday morning. Non-essential businesses may open Monday with restrictions. Bars, restaurants, and other businesses that encourage large groups, are not allowed to open Monday. Massage was not specifically addressed on the news, but the massage therapists I spoke to today thought they could open Monday.
I do not think Megan plans to go back to work as a massage therapist so soon. I understand how a massage therapist could protect their client adequately, but how can the massage therapist be protected? It will be difficult to give a massage to someone wearing a mask. I think it will be extremely hard for a client to breathe through the little face hole wearing a mask, and I think the N95 masks are still difficult to get.
The reason Megan would wait to start her massage job is my health. We would like to think the stay-at-home order is being lifted because new COVID-19 cases are not being discovered any more. Unfortunately, I do not think that is the reason, neither does Megan. Megan does not want to get me sick. Part of the reason Megan does not want me to get sick is if I go into the hospital, she does not have a job, but the other reason is she really loves me, and I am in the high risk for death group.
Whatever Megan chooses when the time comes, we will make it work even if she needs to shower before she can touch me. I do not expect we will need to resort to showers, but one never knows. People may not even want to get massages right away. Close physical contact for long periods of time is one of the best ways to spread COVID-19 so many people may decide massages are too risky. Time will tell.
Megan’s roommates are going to get takeout food for her tonight, so she will have a little celebration with friends. Megan will probably end up with two chocolate cakes, one at her house and one at our house. It will be like she fell asleep and woke up in chocolate cake heaven.
Megan was my “baby” for a lot of years and even though she is now the “unloved” middle child, I love her very much. Megan tries to throw in the unloved middle child line as much as she can, but when you are already 17 when you become the middle child, that argument simply does not fly. Megan insists she is my favorite child because of a statement I made when we were in Dallas together alone when she was 12 or 13. Megan does not remember my exact words, so she cannot use them against me. I do remember my words and maybe, if I ever start recording goodbye videos again, I will gift Megan those words after I pass. Perhaps not, it would be fun to die knowing Megan will wonder until she dies many, many years from now.
My piece of advice to you is to celebrate your children as much as you can. I decided that for at least her birthday, I could dedicate an entire journal entry to Megan so she can see I really can focus on her and only her. Tomorrow Megan can be the unloved middle child again.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.