Day 2: Word of the Year

Today’s Thoughts

• My husband said to me today that he thinks the Word of the Year will be “flatten the curve.” I thought this was very interesting, because I had already decided that it will be “social distancing.” I was curious what other people thought, so I published a poll on Twitter. It was purely for ha-has, because such things tend to fizzle, but as of now I’ve got three votes, which is already more than my last poll got (I feel seen!). FWIW, “social distancing” is in the lead. Shortly after creating the poll, I saw that Merriam-Webster’s trending term of the day is “hunker down.” That’s also a goodie.
• I talked to my mom today. She and my father have decided to hunker down in Vermont, where there’s a lower population density and fewer Coronavirus cases. I think that’s a good idea, though it puts them twice as far away from me. I told her to call me if they have any problems and that I will drive up to help them, but I also told her not to make me have to do that. Luckily for me, they’re on board with the idea of staying home. I would not want to have to lecture them or remind them of the fact that they are old and therefore more susceptible to the virus. Not only is it not my place to tell my parents what to do, but I would probably get hysterical because I’m already stressed out and very worried about them.
• The father-daughter dance was supposed to be on Friday, but it was cancelled for obvious reasons. We had already bought Livia a dress and accessories. It’s looking more and more like the dance will never be rescheduled. That’s sad for Livia, who was looking forward to it. We also don’t want her dress and accessories to go to waste. So we are thinking about having our own special formal dinner and dance at home. If self-isolation measures go on for many weeks, we will have to think of other special events and activities so that we don’t all go stir-crazy.