SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

April 19, 2020 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Sunday Reflections: It’s Okay to Not be Okay During a Pandemic

April 19, 2020 by Karen Jensen, MLS   Leave a Comment

She is standing in front of the sink crying.

I can see her shoulders shaking.

Tears are streaming down her cheeks.

It’s been a rough week.

On Monday, she learned that her favorite teacher had passed away.

We fought about virtual learning. Several times.

She hasn’t seen her friends for over four weeks now.

And school was just cancelled for the remainder of the school year. No goodbyes. No signing of yearbooks. No end of the year party.

It’s just more of us sitting at home and trying to pretend that life is normal when it most definitely is not.

We were in California for Spring Break when it became clear that something serious was going on in our world. It was the worst Spring Break ever, full of difficult emotions and new realities and a lot of staying inside and planning what happens next. There was a brief moment when I wasn’t sure that we would make it home before they shut everything down and I really just wanted to pandemic in the familiarity of my own home with my husband, who had stayed behind because he was still working.

We’ve done a lot to try and make everything as normal as possible for our girls. We’ve Zoomed and Facetimed with family and friends. We’ve put up shamrocks and chalked the sidewalk and went for family walks. We’ve taken every precaution while still trying to be positive, upbeat, engaged and as normal as possible.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

But this week genuinely kicked our butt. The Teen, already prone to depression and anxiety, hasn’t been coping well. Then came the news of our teacher’s passing. Some other things happened that aren’t my story to tell and some of them my kids just want to keep to themselves, which is fair.

And we are one of the lucky ones. Right now, I’m still lucky enough to be working from home although all around the country my fellow librarians – my peers, my colleagues, my friends – are being furloughed and laid off. Every new announcement from my city or admin leaves me with fear as I wonder if today will be the day that I join them. I’ve talked with friends with fear in their voices as we wondered if we would be laid off but equally afraid that our libraries would open to soon and we would now be placed in close quarters with the general public. After all of this we would find ourselves taking the virus we’ve worked so hard to avoid back home to our families.

On Thursday we stood outside as a family and looked at the stars in honor of our favorite teacher’s memory. He sponsored the Space Club and it was a fitting honor. Earlier that day we listened to his memorial service online because I guess that’s what we do now. It’s all just . . . a lot. A lot of new. A lot of different. A lot of sad. A lot of fear. A lot of stress. More than I ever imagined as a parent I would have to help my kid navigate at one time. I mean, a pandemic is a once in a lifetime event – I hope.

So yesterday she stood at the sink and cried and the only thing I could do was hold her close and tell her that I love her. I don’t know when this will end and I fear it will take longer than we think. I don’t want to make any false or empty promises. We’re running out of toilet paper. We miss our friends and family. And the truth is, this isn’t any where close to being done and I have no idea how bad it will get before it’s over.

It’s already unfathomably hard for millions of families. We are among the privileged and we know it.

And still, I wanted to stand at the sink and cry with her. I get it.

I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. This is hard. It’s okay to not be okay in all of this. If you are in a position to help others during this time, please do so in whatever you can. If you need help or support, please don’t hesitate to seek that out in your area.

Resources to help children in the Covid-19 Pandemic

Every Library Institute HALO Fund for Library Staff in Need

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

May 2023

Have Some New 2023 Mysteries and Thrillers by Riley Jensen

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2023

Behind the Recipes in the WINNIE ZENG Series, a guest post by author Katie Zhao

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2023

A Vanishing of Authors, a guest post by S. A. Patrick

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2023

Your Body Belongs to You, guest post by Ruchira Gupta

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2023

Cindy Crushes Programming: Unicorn Photo Frame

by Karen Jensen, MLS

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

A Podcast Experiment: SPEED ROUND w/ Marla Frazee, Dan Santat, Doug Salati, and Amina Luqman-Dawson.

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day: There Was a Party for Langston, King of Letters by Jason Reynolds, ill. Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Extincts: Flight of the Mammoth | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

And now there are 38: May Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Suggestions

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Back in the (Literary) Saddle, a guest post by Jessica Burkhart

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Trying Something New: SPEED ROUND w/ Marla Frazee, Doug Salati, Dan Santat, and Amina Luqman-Dawson

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

The Human Rainbow | Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Antiracism

Duke MDs’ Prescription for Schools? Masks, with Enforcement, and Psychological Support for Teachers, Students.

Board Book Evolution: No Longer 'Just for Babies'

8 YA BookTubers To Watch Right Now

37 Kidlit and YA Titles in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023