By Sarah White
Three years ago this week, the world as we knew it stopped.
We all plummeted down a rabbit hole, I felt every bit as unmoored as poor Alice, snatching a pot of marmalade as she tumbled past, and, discovering it emptied, placing it back on another passing shelf.
My mother had recently enrolled in hospice care, her health failing. She lived near me in an assisted living facility. For us, the usual activities of daily living became as elusive as Alice’s marmalade. Every day I tried to solve last week’s — yesterday’s — last hour’s — problems for her. It’s still too painful for me to write about. But the day is coming when I will.
Did YOU write about the pandemic? You will find some essays on this blog, collected in the months that followed, as I dealt with my writers’ block by interviewing other personal historians about their COVID responses.
Over time, other COVID stories began showing up in my writing groups. Just search “COVID” on this blog and you’ll find some of them.
The Wisconsin Historical Society began asking people to record their experiences in journals, to be donated to their collection at a future date.
Today, The Wisconsin Historical Society is asking for your COVID experiences. Click here to learn how to donate your items (if you are a Wisconsin resident, that is.)
Here is how the WHS describes this collection’s intent: “Every story is important. The Society is seeking individuals and organizations from all walks of life, different backgrounds and cultures. Perspectives from a retired couple or school-aged child are just as important as those from front-line health care workers. Teachers or supervisors could also make this an engaging group project!”
And hey, I would like to hear from you as well. What are you reflecting on, as we enter this season of “anniversary thinking” about the start of the coronavirus pandemic?
See guidelines for submissions to this blog, here.
Please stay well, safe, and grounded. The pandemic is not over.
© 2023 Sarah White
True Stories Well Told 