When Milk Is More Than Just Milk

​Look at this picture. What do you see front and center? Yes, a half gallon of milk ... however it really is so much more than that. 

We’ve all be affected by COVID19, whether we know someone personally who has the virus, we know people working in the front lines putting themselves at risk everyday for exposure, we know people (maybe it’s you) who has been laid off from work and now trying to figure things out, or perhaps we are just feeling the stress of being quarantined and not being able to live our normal lives - and all of this is on top of trying to continue to parent and adding some sort of homeschooling to our already full plates. 

For me, I was temporarily laid off from my job. A job I had just started and was loving. This job also served as school for my son. This means now I am home everyday with a brand new three-year old plus a four-year old dog. Just the three of us. I love my child, but anyone who knows him knows how active he is. This boy benefits greatly from school and the structure and social-emotional learning he gains from being with his peers. The weekend was especially rough because we were stuck inside due to rain. My child NEEDS outside time - even that doesn’t take an edge off his energy level so when we are stuck inside the days are long. Plus we’ve been tackling potty training during our time at home so that’s another exhausting thing on my agenda. I’m doing my best to provide him with enough academic learning each day, but even as an early childhood educator it is difficult to accomplish this each day without being able to run out and get supplies for certain activities or just not having the energy to prep activities after he has gone to bed. 

So what does any of this have to do with a half gallon of milk? Last night I hosted a Cards Against Humanity night paired with Zoom with a couple of friends. Some of them knew each other while others had never met. It was SO NICE to have adult interaction again - for those who know me well know I am a people person. I love to get together with my friends and spend time with other people so being quarantined and unable to meet up for a drink or to go out and get wings has been extremely tough. It’s tough enough not having another adult in the house with me - no support system for the moments when I could use a ten minute break from parenting, no support system when I’m struggling emotionally on what all this means for me as a one-parent household financially, no support system for the fears that come and go that revolve around this virus, so when I learned about this platform I couldn’t wait to try it out and feel “normal” again to interact with my friends and to laugh and chit chat. It was such a wonderful night! But again you ask what does this have to do with a half gallon of milk? During this time on zoom, one of my friends mentioned she was spending her birthday today going grocery shopping among other things. Yay for adult birthdays and the excitement that they bring. Anyway, I had joked with her about grabbing milk so I wouldn’t have to bring Andrew out in public where he would have so much exposure to COVID19 as the milk I had left wasn’t going to last until he returned to his father’s house. A task as easy as grocery shopping is so different now with COVID19. No more just hopping in the car and heading to the store without thinking about exposure. Well, this afternoon I was on my couch and my phone went out. I had a message from the birthday girl that the milk was on my front porch. Wait, what?! Really? Did she seriously pick up milk and drop it off? I was really only kidding - well half kidding because I didn’t want to bring my son to the store in this mess. 

So I ask again, what do see front and center? Do you still only see a half gallon of milk? Or do you see unity, friendship, helpfulness, selflessness? I see all of those things. For me as a one-parent household, this was a breath of fresh air. I didn’t have to take my son to the grocery store and expose him to this virus nor did I have to forgo offering him milk or any meal where milk is required as an ingredient. As small of a gesture that this may seem to be, it was one that really helped me out today and it was a positive that I can pull away from this not so wonderful mess we are all living right now. Honestly, I thought I was just going to write a few sentences about this and look I have an entire novel. If you’re still reading this, maybe this can be some inspiration for you to spread kindness and helpfulness if you are able to do so. If not, no worries - not everyone is going to be in a position to be able to do so whether due to health, finances, their own children. Anyway, I hope that my fresh of breath air (delivered to me in the form of a half gallon of milk) can serve as a reminder that even though we may be quarantined and feeling very alone and isolated right now, that we are all in this together and that if we can help each other out through conversation via text or phone or whatever platform you are most comfortable, through small acts of kindness like this, through virtual connections, that we will get through COVID19 together.

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