Mothers Continue to Carry the World through this Pandemic
In the February 2021 edition of the New York. Times, Jessica Grose wrote a piece entitled, “America’s Mothers are in Crisis.” One of the lines that struck me was “a group of mothers in New Jersey decided they would gather in a park, at a safe social distance, and scream their lungs out.” Oh I could so relate. I have been doing a silent scream for the past year and a half.
As a mother, I’ve had to juggle work, childcare, and household responsiblities against the backdrop of a pandemic. I’ve been “on the go” in every one of those areas and the only time I’ve taken a break is when my body makes me. When I stop, I veg out on the couch, watching tv until the tv is watching me. A simple nap turns into a deep sleep. I often wake up late in the evening, upset over the lost time and the million little things that needed to be done.
It happened again last night. After a long day at work and participating in a leadership class, I came home mentally and physically exhausted. I went to my garden, checked on my plants, and fed my dog. Starving, I ate a peanut butter sandwich on Wheat bread (my favorite), checked a few emails, and set my timer for one hour to nap. That one hour turned into about five and I awakened just before 11 PM. Frustrated, I did a few things and went back to bed which took another hour because my body was now awake. I considered working on my writing, but my mind wasn’t up for it. It was another wasted evening.
I imagine that my situation is similar to many women across the country and around the world. Women, of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds are tired, many past the point of exhaustion. In addition to caring for our children and ours homes, we’ve had to make sure we didn’t fall victim to COVID-19. This virus has devastated famiiles worldwide. Many of the victims have been women.
Per Nciole Tran, on the website France24 .com, “ Governments are putting women and girls at greater risk of the health and socio-economic impacts posed by the coronavirus pandemic.” Indeed, in the United States, many of the frontline jobs are held by women. Tran writes, “ Many women have shouldered a heftier burden taking on more unpaid work such as carer responsibilities, while an overwhelming number occupy frontline healthcare roles and other jobs classed as “essential” like teaching, cleaning and domestic services, as well as consumer-facing jobs that potentially increase their risk of exposure to the virus.”
Women in developing nations are at even greater risk. The virus has impacted many countries in South America where many women are living in extreme poverty. Yet, despite the risks, these women venture out every day to earn money to provide for their families. Women are doing whatever it takes to survive in dangerous circumstances. More needs to be done by governments to support these women.
Eventually, the pandemic will pass. A new normal will resume around the globe. Many states in America have already lifted restrictions on indoor dining and many children have returned to school for in-person learning. However, until the virus no longer poses a threat, countries must continue to proceed with caution. Infection rates continue to spike in once “safe” areas. In addition, the Delta variant, the latest variant born from the origial virus poses a new threat to the unvaccinated.
Women hold up the world. We carry on because giving up is not an option. Women weather many storms to provide for their families and create a better life for themselves. It needs to be recognized the sacrifies we have made to get through this pandemic. Many woman have lost their lives. Those women are heroes and should be honored as such.
