Staying Connected While 6 Feet Apart

It’s so true that through adversity, comes strength.

The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the past 4 months being some of the most trying of our lives.

Going into labor the night the US declared a national emergency, being isolated with two toddlers and a newborn 24/7, postpartum healing, Doug unexpectedly losing his job after the company he worked for went bankrupt (he starts a new job in July, thank goodness!), losing our health insurance, and being worried sick for many of our family members who are healthcare workers on the front line fighting COVID, just to name a few stressful situations. Ultimately, despite those circumstances, we’re so fortunate for our health. And really that’s all that matters. But I will be honest and note that at times it’s felt like being in the eye of a tornado that just kept going.

But this post isn’t about the adversity that has paired with COVID-19. Or rather, it is, but it’s about the strength that has come from adversity. You see, while it’s been a very hard time for everyone, it’s also been filled with seeing so much good in this world. For me personally, it’s been a time of reflecting on what truly matters. As well as leaning on and being there for all those in our lives who mean the most. True, deep connection. The kind that helps you weather the storm and build your ship to be stronger than it was before.

Staying Connected While 6 Feet Apart

The core of our connection during this time has been found at home.

Our family unit has been together more than ever before. All while celebrating and supporting a whole new life with the addition of Beau. This has of course meant lots of bonding and really amazing moments, but it’s also meant many trying ones as well. We’ve had to really work together. Showing grace, love, patience, and acceptance during times of need. I mean this on behalf of Doug and I showing these attributes as parents, but also our children showing us the same.

Staying connected while social distancing

While our connection to one another at home has been vital, being connected to those outside our walls has been equally as essential.

Even with constant chatter and activity, loneliness is a very real thing while being isolated at home. We’ve felt so sad that our parents haven’t been able to hold Beau during this special time of his newborn days. Our girls have longed for play time with their grandparents and cousins. We’ve felt anxious and frustrated at not having any help while trying to work/job search/be productive while caring for three children. We all miss our friends. We yearn to see and hug and physically be able to be with our people without worrying about the appropriate social distance.

But with all that in play, we’ve somehow become closer than ever with those in our lives. When I stop and think about this, I see that we have the power of technology to thank. Facetime calls to show grandparents Beau smiling. News outlets to share the latest COVID information. YouTube channels showing fun new workouts. Zoom calls with friends where we’ve laughed for hours. Having the cast of “Frozen II” help to babysit on occasion. (Ha! But, seriously.) Social media feeds to see photos of who we follow and be inspired to tackle the next long day with a new activity we learned about. The reality is that COVID-19 would have been much harder without the help of technology.

You know where I’m going with this, right?

Xfinity is one of my longterm partners and I couldn’t be more proud to help represent a brand that truly stands for and celebrates connection the way they do.

Xfinity provides the value of connection with all their products — from internet to entertainment and mobile — and their products deliver the simplest, fastest, and cost complete way to access all of your entertainment on all of your screens. Every day of our COVID experience has been met with the help of Xfinity. We’ve relied on our phones, TV, and computer screens to help keep us connected and embrace togetherness even while apart. Be sure to swing by this link to learn how Xfinity can bring value to your home technology!

Today, I’m excited to share our family’s favorite ways that we’ve embraced and felt connected with the people around us during this hard time. Whether digital or non-digital, I really believe these ways have helped our relationships and ourselves grow to be better people.

Our Family’s Favorite Ways We’ve Stayed Connected Throughout COVID-19

Zoom Calls With Friends and Family

This time period would have been so different if we didn’t have Zoom. The ability to get on a video call with so many people at once has been extremely helpful in feeling less isolated. A few examples: We’ve had our entire family on a call to “meet” Beau. Lots of friend calls over glasses of wine, Grace and Joey have been getting on weekly calls with their classes from school. And we’ve even joined things like Kindergarten prep meetings for Grace’s upcoming new school. It’s great to have so many options for talking – all screens at once (friend calls), or one person can share their screen to others (Kindergarten prep.)

Facetime

There’s just something refreshing about seeing someone’s face while talking to them. Especially since so many of our friends and family haven’t been able to meet Beau in person, Facetime has been amazing to catch up and show how he’s growing. The girls love to hop on Facetime calls, too. Our default for conversations has become Facetime. From grandparents to buddies, it’s helped for us all to feel connected while being confined to our home walls. (And, may I add, having Xfinity helps to provide an amazingly fast and secure connection!)

Being There For Neighbors

We’re all in this together, and it’s been truly incredible to see how our neighborhood has come together during this time. People are sitting on their porches, chatting with those passing by on walks. We’re all waving to each other and asking how everyone’s doing. There’s sidewalk chalk artwork with words of encouragement everywhere you look. I teared up one day with COVID first started and we got about 10 messages through our RING app with young neighbors offering to get groceries for the elderly or those in needed.

We’ve been having fun with those daily neighborhood connections. People are outside, eager to chat, of course while distanced. Our daily walks have introduced us to people we’ve never even seen before in our neighborhood. We draw chalk artwork on the regular, made a huge rainbow in our window to signify hope, and we bought a pendant that says, “Together We Will See This Through.” I’ve seen a lot of people walk by our home and smile, which makes me smile. Our little community has really come together to show one another support.

Bringing Smiles on Birthdays

What a wild time to have a birthday, huh!? I felt so bad for our sweet Josephine because she’d been talking about having a 3rd birthday party with her friends for what felt like ALL year, then when it came time for it to happen, we couldn’t see anyone. But how our family and friends showed up was incredible – Joey had the BEST day. It was filled with Facetime calls, a few surprises from us, and she even had a birthday parade where our friends and family decorated cars/dressed up while driving by. She felt so loved — and what a unique birthday to say you’ve been through, right?!

In turn, we’ve done the same for others! Doug’s grandpa had his 90th birthday, and we had a huge parade with the entire family. The police and fire departments even showed up to show some love! Across the board, we’ve found that being in a time like this and still going out of your way for others makes the effort and intention extra special.

Work Outs with YouTube

I mentioned how much we love Cosmic Yoga in Our Family’s Favorite At Home Activities For Toddlers, and I just have to reiterate it here again because it’s been such a wonderful activity to do together. We do Cosmic Yoga with the girls as a start to almost every day. They love the imaginative approach, and I love that it’s a fun way to get them moving in the morning. When we first started quarantine, I thought it was helpful as an activity for them, but what I didn’t anticipate was how much we’d love doing it together. (We play our YouTube work outs on our TV with the help of Xfinity, which makes it easier to join as a family!)

If anyone doubted the power of social media before, I don’t think they could after experiencing its power during COVID. (And, this is a different topic, but I need to add that its power was also strongly felt during the important #BlackLivesMatter movement!) Personally, social media is how I’ve stayed on top of what friends are doing on the daily, new ideas for our days and activities with the kids, and even keeping up with information on COVID. During a time that has often felt lonely and heavy, I’ve felt so connected with people on social with all the sharing that’s encouraged. The community element of social media is immensely powerful, and something I’m truly grateful for in our world!

Growing Our Garden

Having a yard during this time has been absolutely game changing, and while we’ve largely had almost every “to-do” item on our home list go unchecked, starting a garden is the exception. From making garden boxes to planting seeds, gardening has been something that our family has really enjoyed doing together. I love that it teaches the girls how plants and food grow! An added bonus that our flowers have started to bud, making for gorgeous bouquets. We’ve enjoyed creating little bouquets out of hand-cut flowers, and delivering them to neighbors just because.

One thing is certain — now more than ever, the connection that we have with those in our lives and our communities is vital. Its power has become more and more apparent as the year goes on — technology is enabling connection in ways we’ve never seen before. If you’re interested in learning more about how Xfinity can help your home be more connected, be sure to swing by this link!