How COVID Enhanced My Education
Written by Ruti Eastman
Who knew, in those halcyon days of early 2020, that the entire world would flip on its ear in the coming months? Political unrest, friends ‘unfriending’ friends over such formerly private issues as voting, policemen being seen as the enemy rather than defenders of the defenseless. The only thing we all had in common was COVID-19. Suddenly (and briefly), we were all on the same page, struggling in confusion with the same crisis. Masks everywhere. Hand sanitizer and surgical gloves. Waiting in lines to enter stores. Limits on how far we could travel from home. No more hugs from adult children and grandchildren… Isolation. Sad and lonely days.
My husband and I are among the fortunate few. We each have a partner in life we like and don’t mind being “stuck home alone” with. We know this is not to be taken for granted. We are retired, so we don’t have to worry about losing our jobs. Our adult children took it upon themselves to come up with reasons to meet weekly with each parent on Zoom. While we are in the “mature” demographic, we are relatively healthy; so we live with less fear than some of our friends who struggle with chronic health issues.
As Torah-observant Jews, our agreed-upon first obligation is to think about and pray daily for those who are less fortunate: friends who are alone, friends with lots of kids who need to be entertained 24/7, friends whose family situation is difficult or even tenuous, friends with businesses that might fail or jobs that might disappear. We try to be available to them via WhatsApp or phone or Zoom. We pray that their situations will improve, picturing and thinking carefully about each individual. We shifted our charitable funds to people we know who are fighting to put food on their tables, and we try to purchase mostly from struggling businesses.
And what to do with all that time alone? We can only watch so much Netflix. And we really needed to feel productive, because nothing is as debilitating as huddling in our home, afraid of the future, doing nothing. As Corona doesn’t seem to be leaving town anytime soon, some of
our solutions may resonate with you or with someone you love to help make the coming months more meaningful.
- We are using the vast library and university that is the internet. My husband and I are enjoying music classes free of charge on YouTube. I am taking exercise and yoga classes, also available for free on YouTube. I discovered MasterClass which, while not free, allows me to learn from experts in various fields. I signed up to spend time listening to famous authors speak from their hearts about their individual writing processes. I ended up also learning gardening tips that have caused my herb garden to flourish and my orchids and anthurium to no longer cower in fear. (My mother, she should rest in peace, would be happily shocked that I have stopped killing plants.) Tony Hawk has taught me about skateboarding; LeVar Burton is teaching me storytelling; Jon Kabat-Zinn is cluing me in on mindfulness. Best of all, I have taken cooking classes from world class chefs, and this has enhanced our diet and our health. Since we can’t go out to dinner at restaurants—besides saving money—our weight has come down and we feel healthier.
- As I mentioned earlier, we are spending quality one-on-one time with our sons, each focusing on something they find interesting. With one
- son, I have spent the year studying and writing poetry, after which he studies history with his father. With another son, I practice my cooking skills by teaching him culinary arts. (I can’t decide if I look like Julia Child or Graham Kerr with my computer kitchen setup.) Another son interviews us about our childhoods, and learns Torah with his father; and with another son, I discuss mixed martial arts and stand-up comedy.
- I am attending online lectures on Biblical history and other Jewish subjects; and have rebuilt and repurposed my relationship with Torah and God and the recitation of Psalms, things that are often a result of meditative time alone.
I hope and pray that this pandemic will end soon. But until it does, I plan to fill the time with whatever learning will most enhance my life and relationships. Happily, our sons have said that even when life returns to “normal,” whatever that will look like, they plan to continue these weekly sessions of time with their parents. For our part, learning with and from our young people is a great return on our decades-long investment! And while I won’t be seen on a skateboard anytime soon, I plan to continue gaining worldview and knowledge from the people who have successfully navigated much of what makes our world fascinating.
We are using the vast library and
university that is the internet.
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