27 minute read
PANDEMIC : LESSONS, LOVE & LAUGHTER
While we should have been convening, conversing and celebrating at the 10th annual Orlando Women’s Conference, we were under stay-at-home orders. Since we couldn’t be together in person, we asked some of our speakers to share their thoughts on this unprecedented period in our lives.
This “stay-at-home” experience has been a vast change from my normal life. I have really never taken extended time off during my whole training experience, going straight into the venture of starting my own solo practice out of fellowship. I have turned from facial plastic surgeon and business owner and manager to full-time stay-athome mom. The homeschooling experience has been interesting and has many challenges. Now that I have accepted this change is going to last some time, I am trying to use this time for some reflection and self-care.
Our family is growing closer, but we definitely very much miss the interactions with our friends and family. I truly believe we were built for human interaction, and this extreme change has been challenging. Yet, this time offers incredible quality time for my family and importantly, me. We are cooking a lot and involving the children. We are also spending a lot of time outside — biking, kayaking, swimming, jogging, hiking. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and first and foremost, is the health of the community; nonetheless, this time is precious, and we need to make the most of it. I believe this time will be a reset button for the world to reflect on what we want to do with our short lives on Earth and make sure we focus on the things that are truly important.
Some of the things I think I have learned: * It is NOT necessary to travel to that meeting in New York; you can very easily share presentations and documents on any of the many platforms. * I wish I had bought shares in Zoom! * The environment is taking a big giant breath as we travel less.
Things I have loved: * The number of people from all over who have checked in on me. * The virtual happy hours, bingo games and trivia quizzes. * Being on a tri-continent call with friends in Australia, the UK and US. * The way people have come together to support each other, and the
“sweatshops” that have sprung up everywhere to make masks.
Things I have laughed about: * The creativity of so many of the memes and videos. * Talking about Tiger King with friends. * Going to a friend’s house to stand on their lawn and sing “Happy
Birthday” from a safe distance. * Our Orlando Pride players doing a whole exercise routine dressed in ’70s gear.
Kay Rawlins, Orlando City Soccer
ihave joked that thanks to COVID-19, I’m living my best life. Who knew it would take a pandemic to force me into slowing down and finally acting on the simple things I only dreamt of doing before (if only I had more time)? Something as simple as getting coffee on a morning walk with my dog around Park Avenue. I’ve thought about how blissful this would be for about a year, and I’m just now doing it! The idea of slowing down and being more present has translated to many aspects of my life, including my business. It’s been a daily process of assessing our current situation and how I need to/can shift my business to provide value to my community. I believe that something on all of our minds is, “How can I give back?” For me that has been taking the cooking classes I normally host in-person and moving them online by offering a mini cooking series on Instagram. Even though we are all experiencing change and challenges, it has been incredible to see how the community has rallied around one another. Even if it’s as simple as cooking together through a virtual platform, it makes us feel more connected, maybe even more than ever.
Here is what I have learned, loved and laughed about during our time in quarantine:
I’ve learned that the ability to take a timeout or reset, whether voluntary or forced, is required at times to move forward.
I’ve loved being able to reconnect with my family near and far.
I’ve laughed about that I wish I would have bought stock in toilet paper when I had the chance! Who knew?
Rosene Johnson, PACE Center for Girls
I’ve learned that with empathy, discipline and grace anything is possible. I’ve loved watching my community ban together — whether it’s through a social media campaign or volunteering to sew handmade masks — Orlando continuously impresses me. And, I’ve laughed a lot at my two-year-old son — there was never a better time to potty train!
Danielle Permenter, Orlando Economic Partnership
LAUGHED:
We just moved into a new house in a new neighborhood. Three days later, I lock myself out of our new house, barefoot, no keys, no shoes, kale chips in the oven, and no phone. My first thought was I’m going to have to walk a mile barefoot to my office, at least I’m dressed. I flag down our neighbor who is just pulling out of her driveway and explain my predicament, thinking there’s no way she’s going to help a frazzled, barefoot stranger, let alone during a pandemic. Miraculously, she says, “Hop in” and drove me to my office where I retrieved the key for the house. My new neighbor said, “Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll lock myself out in the future and then you can take me.” I felt honored. It was such a loving gesture of help… “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself.” And it’s something we can both laugh about years from now.
LEARNED:
You can handle more than you think. I was feeling overwhelmed that, within one week, I was moving into a new home and launching HButterfly.com, which is a new website for my superfood brand, Healing Butterfly. Then, the pandemic hit. On top of both a major personal and professional event, we began online grocery shopping, Zoom conference calling, homeschooling (aka distance learning), and working remotely. It wasn’t perfect, but I took a deep breath and everything got handled. What’s more, it actually made us grateful for what we have. We’re lucky to live in a modern world that allows us to accomplish more than ever and we should be grateful for our health, family, friends, love and freedom.
LOVED:
While there are many tragic components to COVID-19, long-term, some of the positive effects will be innovation, mental fortitude, increased kindness and compassion that arose from the pandemic. Everything in this life is temporary, the bad and the good. It’s all perspective. I loved seeing so many people coming together as a community, supporting each other, and doing what they can to make the world a better place.
Jackie Hirsch, Healing Butterfly
MY HUSBAND THOUGHT THE APOCALYPSE MAY BE NEAR when he saw me in the kitchen actually cooking dinner. Seriously, though, I’ve been inspired by my staff’s dedication and teamwork in fielding our clients’ many questions raised by the workplace challenges of the pandemic. I wish everyone a safe and healthy journey through these unprecedented times.
WE ARE GETTING USED TO OUR NEW NORM AND HOPING TO
RETURN TO OUR REGULAR LIVES SOON. In the meantime, we have learned a lot about germs and how to prevent transferring them. We are appreciating the little things in life and feeling grateful.
We now take our time to properly wash our hands, 20 seconds to be exact, or sing Happy Birthday twice. It is funny because my mom always told me to wash my hands so I would wash away the “microbios” (Spanish for germs). Little did she know that this would be one of the most important things we do during the COVID-19 quarantine to keep us safe. It’s amazing to think how many germs we all invited into our homes and lived with on a regular basis pre-COVID. I think we have all learned to be more conscientious of our environment.
My boyfriend, Ben, has been in quarantine with me for more than a month, and it’s been great. He’s an awesome cook and we enjoy drinking wine and listening to the Happy Station on Pandora as the amazing aroma fills the room and the girls run around. Yes, the girls, our two puppies, Zoey aka “Velco,” a tri-color Welsh corgi, and Luna aka “Lunatic,” a boxer mix rescue. Zoey sticks by my side and Luna is always looking to get into trouble. They are enjoying the quarantine.
Ben is also very crafty so the quarantine has been great; more projects are being completed and getting checked off my Pinterest list.
We’ve laughed about people hoarding toilet paper, who would have known it would become such a hot commodity? Happy hours and work meetings have changed; Zoom has taken over and you only need to look nice from the waist up. That is unless you forget and stand up.
It was weird to go to the stores and see empty shelves. Born in Cuba, it reminded me of the stories my parents shared about how everything was rationed or not available. This was normal for our family and today we take so much for granted as it’s certainly not normal for us.
What we are most grateful for is having so many folks risking their lives every day to keep us safe! Folks that are on the frontlines; medical professionals, first responders, truck drivers, teachers, food delivery shoppers (Shipt /Instacart), sanitation workers, Amazon, restaurants, lawn service providers and many more.
My only hope is that we don’t completely go back to our old ways and we continue to hold on to some of the good that came out of such a bad virus. Praying for all those that have been affected financially and medically. Stay safe and wash your hands!
Christina Pinto, MPC Wealth Management
Tuarantine has forced me to do something I would have never done on my own, slow down. Like many others, I have an overwhelming amount on my plate. I work full time in real estate, I’m heavily involved in my community and Bahamas relief efforts, and have been a single mom for the past three years. At the onset of the coronavirus, I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage it all. I had to navigate how to get a house sold that hit the market the first day of self-isolation and adjust to becoming a homeschool teacher to my elementary aged children, who are staying with me through the duration of quarantine. Then something beautiful happened, I got engaged!
Quarantine has given us the amazing opportunity to spend quality time adjusting to what life will be like as a family of six. We spent our first Easter together, we share every meal together at the table, play games and have created a nightly tradition of Mario Kart. Being forced to slow down has taught me so much and helped me shift my mindset to what really matters. When we come out ofquarantine, I hope what I have learned and the traditions we have started continue as we return to normalcy. Although I am hopeful the pandemic ends, that people do not contract the virus and no more lives are lost, I am thankful it forced me to pause, to slow down, to spend quality time with family and re-evaluate the things that matter most in life! (Family photo courtesy of a tripod and self-timer on Easter) Q
Orlando Mask Effort
by Beth Hobart
When the pandemic started and the stay-at-home order went into place, fear continued to grow and so did my anxiety (as I’m sure it was the same for a lot of other people as well). And as the days and weeks continue to pass, still, no one knows when things will be normal again, or if things will ever be the same.
I REMEMBER A GREAT QUOTE
FROM FRED ROGERS. He said that when he was a little boy and would see scary things in the news, his mom would say, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” I now realize that was the quote that helped ground me as I was feeling more and more adrift in this space.
I was noticing that people on Facebook were sewing masks for medical personnel and I instantly wanted to help. After taking sewing classes a few years back and failing miserably, I thought there was really no way for me to get involved. But the posts kept showing up in my feed and women from all over Central Florida were jumping in to help which was giving me more inspiration. I finally started asking if there was any other type of help that was needed… anything but sewing! It turns out that the people sewing needed help cutting fabric patterns and since that’s something simple and easy, I knew I could knock that out quickly.
My neighbor, Andrea Ruiz-Hays, started a Facebook group called “Million Mask Challenge — We Need You” and asked me to join the group so I could see how she was organizing people. After joining, she told me she would leave some fabric on her front porch that I could cut. So, I stopped by her home (which is conveniently located within walking distance) and picked up the materials, along with a pattern and some chalk that Andrea included. I took it home, disinfected my kitchen island, washed my hands, and started chalking out the 6" x 9" patterns on the fabric and started cutting. Hours passed… two, maybe three… I got lost in it all. And instead of worrying about the future, the pandemic, and how our world might change, I focused on the patterns and the cutting, and my anxiety levels decreased dramatically. I was finally a part of something and could help, which was helping me as well.
As things progressed, Andrea, along with Bonnie Lewis from Orlando Face Mask Strong, were doing a lot of research with doctors and they were working out how to make medical grade masks that were as close to the N95 masks that were deemed the safest. As attention to these women and their pages spread, Orlando Health put out a call for 45,000 masks. As
this request went out, Andrea was contacted by the Orlando City Soccer Club and they were more than willing to help the cause and donate 1,000 shirts which could then be turned into masks for medical personnel at their locations.
As a board member for the Orlando City Foundation, I was excited to help cut the shirts, but I needed help. So, I reached out to several friends that I now refer to as my “Cutting Crew” for help: Shelley Wilson Lauten, Fred Lauten, Suzanne Gilbert, Brandi Harris Markiewicz, Jon Yapo, Rosemarie Russell DiDonato, Barbara Leach, Heather Crill Chesley, Becki Douglas-Geise, Katja Kern-Gage, Sunshine Joy Woodyard, Jennifer Lastik and Jamie Billotte Moses. I was proud of this crew but was then happily taken aback that some of them added their own volunteers! I would leave bags of shirts on my front porch, sanitize the bags, and my volunteers would stop by, pick them up, cut the shirts and drop them back off to my home. Within a few days, shirts were cut and the fabric was ready. Vanessa Loomie would then pick them up, create kits, and bring them to the people who sew, which turned out to be the perfect cycle of helpers to get the job done.
I should have known that a community that was brought together by the Pulse tragedy years ago would come together again at a time of unprecedented need and uncertainty. There are so many unknowns at the moment, but one thing is for sure, we truly are #OrlandoStrong.
AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT ON DECEMBER 31, who thought it was even a remote possibility that we would have a singular goal for 2020 to protect ourselves, our families, our teams and loved ones from contracting a deadly virus that is affecting people around the globe? For the first several days of the shutdown, I convinced myself that it was just a bad dream and when I awoke, all would be as it was before.
Unfortunately, it isn’t a dream, but our current reality. It is in times of crisis, when we have an opportunity to rise to the occasion; we come together and learn, give, love, pray and appreciate all the things in life that were previously taken for granted. Our heroes are those who are risking their own health and safety to ensure ours. Many families are more connected than ever. Every day there are groups of family members walking and biking, posting encouraging and touching social media messages, and posting pictures of momentous occasions as opposed to attention-grabbing selfies. There is an acceptance of our vulnerability. There is a spirit of gratitude for the gift of life.
Fortunately, we have strength, resolve, and a sense of HUMOR! As important as it is to recognize the severity of this health scare, it is healthy to find humor in an otherwise tragic scenario. Social media has been a godsend to the world of being “shut-in.” Pictures of bad haircuts, pajama wearing at noon, cocktails at 3, “sweltering in place,” and couch potato chip eating bring much needed laughter at just the right moment. Talented entertainers from doctors who sing a Capella on break to Andrea Boccelli on Easter, are bringing music and joy to our homes. Thank goodness for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime — what would we do without binge watching shows like Ozark and Goliath? And, Christi Ashby, thank you for bringing all the supporters and readers of Orange Appeal together with your positive energy and love for your friends and the Central Florida community. You really make a difference!
Diane Meiller-Cook, Diane Meiller & Associates
I’ve learned to enjoy the stillness of the day and the science of baking. I’ve loved sitting on my balcony taking meetings over rushing to the next one on the opposite side of town. I’ve laughed at the hilarious conversations had with colleagues over text and at the amount of times I’ve eaten frozen pizza.
But mostly, I’ve taken the gratitude I already practiced to the next level. I reflect on my blessings, give to charities who are doing the hard work, advocate for those who need the most right now, and send love to friends through messages, mail and instant delivery. There is a silver lining; sometimes we just have to dig a little deeper to find it.
Adrianna Sekula, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
As a person who thrives off of personal connection, COVID-19 has taken a toll on me emotionally as I love hugging people, making meaningful connections while looking people in the eye, the sights and smells of downtown, and the physical presence of the people who I’m blessed to call my community. What I have loved about this time is making home cooked meals with my family every night — and the boys (8 and 14) are loving that (and have been vocal on how much they have loved it). I have loved our after-dinner family bike rides through College Park as our neighborhood is such a gem. We even got a puppy (Hazel, Australian Shepard, 12 weeks old) to love on and provide a fabulous distraction from everything else going on.
I have laughed, and cried, and laughed again with my wonderful tribe of sisters who support me and uplift me and motivate me and remind me we are not in this alone. The outpouring of love from our community to support each other — whether it be helping a neighbor with their groceries or helping make face masks for our healthcare workers — is strong and makes me so proud to call The City Beautiful my home.
my friends joke that I have been training for quarantine my whole life. While not expressly true, I am an “extroverted introvert” and pride myself on adapting quickly to change so maybe they are right. From a business perspective, we were structured for an emergency and have always had a continuity plan in place. We communicated early and often and our investment in systems made it easy to move Kendrick Law Group and Champion Title and Closing remote overnight. This has been a blessing because the last few weeks have been some of our busiest since inception.
Sounds like it was seamless, right? Uh, no. Let’s not forget to throw in a medical sales rep husband working from home, a high school senior, a college freshman, two dogs and did I mention a kindergartener with more Zoom meetings than me? The new normal has tested the limits of my love for an open concept floor plan… but it has also given me time with all of them that I never would have had if not for the shutdown.
Yes, it is insane. Yes, I am overwhelmed. Yes, my grocery bill is absurd, and yes, my hands are raw from cleaning, but we have had more family dinners, days by the pool, after-dinner soccer games and long bike rides in the last few weeks than we have had in years. I am choosing to see the silver lining and drink in these moments. I hope some of the lessons of the last few weeks stick with us as we re-enter the hustle and bustle of life. I hope I remember to stop and enjoy and slow down a bit — to savor a leisurely shopping trip or crowded brunch or even a long line. I will appreciate the normalcy I hope is soon to return — and reflect on the togetherness I might not have had in the pre-COVID world.
Number one, I had no idea how much I like NOT wearing makeup! That being said, I do miss mingling. On a more serious note, I am in awe of the creativity of the human spirit. We are learning, laughing and loosening barriers, virtually; a group of girlfriends and I are meeting for video hangouts; my family’s text thread has never been busier; and I am doing things I promised to get to “one day.” What’s more apparent is that communication is not the “soft” skill people have called in the past (as if it ever were). We’re latching on to as much information as we can get, sharing our concerns, and creating new ways to lead... all through communication. Leaders now have to rally their teams from a distance. We’re being forced to show compassion and understanding as noisy backgrounds from home replace the quiet of the office. We’re creating a new normal. What have I learned? Throw out the rule book, keep your humanity (and sense of humor) and know that we’re all in this boat together. Keep rowing!
Annetta Wilson, Speak With Ease AS SOMEONE WHO TRAVELS FREQUENTLY FOR
BUSINESS, I’ve been extremely grateful for this time at home with my family. It’s been beautiful, and chaotic, but I wouldn’t trade these extra moments for anything. I’ve also realized that I absolutely have to have a creative outlet in order to function at optimal levels. I doubled down on learning new things and getting projects off the ground that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. It’s allowed me to have necessary mental breaks and definitely has brought a ton of joy into my life. The biggest lesson I’ve learned (other than I am not cut out to be a school teacher) is that structure is even more important when I’m home. I’m so used to a busy schedule with work and running around with the kids that when a lot of that stopped, I had time leaks all over the place and I wasn’t getting things crossed off my list. Add in virtual school, and I was a mess! Sticking to an adjusted schedule has made a massive difference. Lastly, connection is critical and Zoom has been my best friend. Scheduling “virtual face-to-face” time to connect with family and friends has made a major difference.
Grace: The one thing I know for sure about COVID-19 is that we are all experiencing it differently. And the only experience that I can truly understand is my own.
There is so much out there right now about what we SHOULD be doing and feeling and how we SHOULD be spending our time. I truly believe everyone is doing the best they can right now in a very difficult circumstance. I hope we can offer each other some grace and help someone else whenever possible. And that we can give ourselves a break too.
Self-Care: “What am I going to do today to care for myself?” I learned to ask myself this question years ago when my life was in great upheaval. Along with gratitude, this daily focus of self-care has been life changing. In challenging times it’s easy to get lost in caring for others and meeting everyone else’s needs. And so many need us right now. But as I walked the lake with my mask on, I thought it was so symbolic. It’s critical to remember and choose ourselves right now and put on our own “oxygen masks” so we can take care of our hearts, our health, and connect with our inner needs, if only for a few precious minutes. From that place we can be present and better able to care for others.
Michelle Brady-Palmer, SeaWorld
What we've learned:
Family, friends and colleagues are an unwavering support group.
We love knowing that we live in an extraordinary community committed to go through this pandemic together!
We laugh daily since our little COVID-19 Shiba Inu pup, Kennedy, joined the family.
Elisha Gonzalez, FAIRWINDS Foundation & FAIRWINDS Credit Union
The COVID-19 Crisis has impacted the entire world in such a powerful way, having threatened our health, safety and economic situation. As with many of my friends, I share feelings of isolation, uncertainty and fear. Although, I’ve learned I have to let go of the fear and go deep inside myself to find blessings in every day. While usually seeing the positive side of things, I find we need to do this now more than ever. It’s the time to observe the good in humankind.
Every day, I’m reminded that there are kind, generous and caring individuals in the world. From healthcare workers to first responders to grocery store personnel, there are so many people willing to serve. While many small business owners have been negatively impacted by the crisis, I’ve discovered they’re resilient and have found ways to support one another. Daily business operations now consist of Zoom, WebEx and other mediums to stay connected. As we move forward into the future, these video conferencing tools may be the new norm, but there is a silver lining — the benefit of more time spent with our friends and loved ones. My hope is we’ll all be more appreciative on every level as we’re able to interact again face-to-face after this crisis passes.
Judi Awsumb, Awsumb Enterprises Inc.
I’ve learned that in the chaos there’s peace. Even though there is sadness and fear that exists among millions of people, there’s still a sense of hope that we will rise and prevail. I say we, because that’s the biggest takeaway. We’re not alone. We’re in this together. I’ve always been thankful for the safety and good health of my family — beyond grateful. Included daily are unknown names and faces in my prayers and meditations. I hope that when this is all done that we will all continue to help one another. That our darkest days still allowed us to see a light through the cracks. And through it all, we can acknowledge that we’re never alone. Thank goodness for my faith, family, friendships, coworkers, healthcare workers and all the essential workers that contribute to make each day better for us. They’ve added so much light to my life. I hope to pay that forward. Stay safe, everyone.
What I’ve learned is that the Winter Park community wants to survive the COVID-19 pandemic intact and is willing to work together to that end. The Chamber rallied the community as soon as the crisis began.
I initiated twice-weekly Zoom meetings with key industry leaders that have resulted in real long- and short-term solutions, including our THRIVE Winter Park initiative, designed to enable and accelerate Winter Park’s recovery after the pandemic. Thank you to those invaluable partners as we have raised money to help our businesses and help feed our healthcare workers.
And while my team and I have been working to deliver all of this, I’ve been executing on the most important job of all — that of Mom. Our house has turned into a college and high school classroom, a chamber of commerce, and a three-times-a-day commissary. Meal prep, once a challenge, has now been industrially engineered to help us more efficiently through our quarantine days. And I’ve loved every minute of the Monopoly games, family walks and the old-school movie nights.
Betsy Gardner Eckbert, Winter Park Chamber of Commerce
We have learned through this COVID19 experience to appreciate each other and enjoy time to talk, laugh, play cards (LOTS of cards) and simply be together. We feel so blessed as a family. When the quarantine is over and we are back to school and work, we will look back on this time and realize that even though it was bad for our “quality” of living, it was wonderful for our quality of “life.”
I HAVE LEARNED that life can be turned upside down in a matter of seconds, I have learned never to take the word “normal” for granted again, I have learned that there are way too many types of losses, and that way too many types can be experienced at the same time, I have learned that our stable economy is not stable at all, and that an invisible imposter can bring it down to its knees, I have learned that in our darkest hour, people we barely know will show up and never leave our side, I have learned the real value of holding a hand and receiving a hug, I have learned that isolation, trauma and grief could come into your life and refuse to leave, I have learned that there are way too many things outside my control, and I have learned to accept that I cannot control them, And I have learned, * To lose, * To fail, * To hurt, * To give up, * Then get up, * To dust off, * And rebuild.
I LOVE how all of us stand together united fighting the same cause,
I love how concerned we are about our senior population, And I love that we are checking on each other as different waves of emotions take us to our highest high and lowest low, I love watching people out on their balconies singing their hearts out, And I loved the chills I got when I listened to the pianist in Barcelona playing “My Heart Will Go On” for his neighbors, and how I choked up as his neighbor took his saxophone and joined him, And I love our doctors, nurses, grocery store workers, food delivery workers, janitors, truck drivers, police officers, firefighters and EMTs for risking their safety for us, And I love, * The unity, * The compassion, * The technology, and * The clean air. I LAUGHED about the lack of toilet paper, And laughed at all the silly “wash your hands” videos, And I laughed as I realized that that’s all I had to laugh about!
