22 Hudson Valley Parent
n
April 2020
By KRISTINA MULLIGAN,
via Underestimated Strength
T
his world is in scary times as
we deal with a global pan-
demic. COVID-19 is causing
fear in many and panic in others. In
some way, however, we all feel the
anxiety
- and possibly the soreness
of dry hands from constant hand
washing.Social distancing and isola-
tion have become the way of life for
many, but those that are a bit more
"adventurous" are still navigating
cancelled events (on their part or
society's) and having to go to work
in a world that's partially shut down.
It's uncharted territory for so many
Social Distancing and the Village
A glimmer of hope in the midst of a crisis
but, as a parent of a preemie, a lot
of these precautions are a part of a
normal season.
I have often been told that the
voluntary quarantine that we en-
dure each year since Flynn's birth
is unnecessary. I've heard unkind
words about my helicopter par-
enting and over-reacting; that I'm
living in fear and that kids need
exposure to germs to thrive.
When I wash my hands countless
times a day, keep hand sanitizer
all over the place, and sanitize my
phone, I've been called paranoid
and a germaphobe. I can take all
that, though. It doesn't hurt more
than it would to have my son's frag-
ile health compromised.
I stand by our decision to self-iso-
late every year, not because I'm
"It takes a village to
tackle big things like
COVID-19. Be a part
of the village, not a part
of the problem."
KRISTINA MULLIGAN
