Dutch Lock Down Day Eighteen

I was this many years old when I realized WHY fiction and games and shows and such are so fascinating right now.

For the same reason why the sun is brighter and warmer when we go outside. And the same reason why things aren’t just funny, but fucking hilarious. And why sleep is exquisite.

Reality sucks.

The silver linings are utterly precious and when we come across one, we stare at it, making it bigger than perhaps it is, because We Have To ™.

That’s the new reality.

But first the news:

• Coronavirus: statistics show lockdowns are slowing rate of infection
• Anti-Coronavirus Measures Likely To Remain For Months
• Rutte: stay home this weekend, Germans and Belgians should stay away at Easter [Dutch]

I’m better today.

WAY better.

No thanks to sleep last night.

Writing all that stuff yesterday kept me up all night with ruminations, but instead of going to work this morning, I helped get the kids out of bed and outside and, as soon as I could, I went back to bed.

Not the sleep of depression.

But the sleep of the sleep deprived.

And it was glorious.

A’s teacher and I had a video call appointment last week that I totally skipped. She followed up again with me yesterday – made an appointment for today.

And I slept through it.

But she followed up again.

And we finally spoke.

And showed her all the things that A has been doing in the past few weeks. She asked me how I was doing, too.

I was honest.

“Shitty.”

But that I’ve taken time off work and there’s a path forward.

I read today about how the Hague region lost touch with hundreds of pupils when schools closed and I’m so not surprised.

How many families are expats overwhelmed at all the communication in Dutch? How many families actually have internet? How many families have enough bandwidth to share three or more people using said internet? Or enough computers to share? Or parents who can handle work plus family plus SCHOOL?

It’s a lot.

I’m not surprised.

Today’s silver lining was brought to us by A’s teacher who followed up again and again and again until she got through to her student and confirmed he’s on track.

Reality sucks.

Yeah.

But the silver linings are fucking brilliant.