I keep saying everything is day by day. Just days ago, I posted a piece about how my ex-husband and I had to make the difficult decision that one home is better than two. We decided for the health of everyone that my apartment would be kid corona quarantine for the foreseeable future. Well, it is a new day and over the weekend, we hit the road to Quarantine together.
But it’s not just us. We are with his wife, her ex-husband and their kids. Just call us Modern Family 2020, Corona-style.
When one gets divorced we are reminded often, and it’s become ingrained in my head, to “do what’s in the best interest of the children.” Now, in this crazy corona time, four parents are doing just that.
With NYC now being the US epicenter of the coronavirus, and cases multiplying by the minute and with rules and regulations also changing by the day, we decided to make a temporary move.
In all fairness, my ex has been asking me to leave NYC for a week. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Other than family and a few friends outside of NYC, who I didn’t want to potentially infect, I didn’t have a place to go. I also didn’t want to leave my only home. I didn’t want to go anywhere outside of NY in case any of us got sick. I didn’t want to leave the city where my parents are. I didn’t want to leave my social distance walk and wine on the water with friends nearby. With my business at a standstill, and little to no income in the foreseeable future since events cannot be held. I couldn’t justify spending any unnecessary money.
But days later, the fear is real. The life I didn’t want to leave is not in any of our best interests. The walks on the river were becoming fewer and fewer. The time on the couch was becoming more and more. My ex kept calling and asking if a house outside of NYC wouldn’t be better. The life we knew is now non-existent. Wouldn’t a back yard, fresh air, no one around, the ability to hike or walk or run or play outside be in the best interest of all of the kids? Wouldn’t it be in our best interest also?
So how did we really come to this decision? My kids’ stepsisters have been on spring break with their dad in Vermont. Their trip was about to end and their dad, rightfully so, couldn’t fathom bringing them back to NYC. After many conversations and then a conference call between the four of us, and their ability to rent a house in Vermont that has not only space for all of us, but social distance possibilities as well, we hit the road.
If I get sick I won’t be alone. If any of the kids get sick we will all be there.
Will we eat together? Family yoga? Morning hikes? Dinner drinks? How will it all work? There is anxiety. But we are doing it in the best interest of the kids.