Corona Survival

This Corona Virus situation is not my first rodeo. Seventeen years ago, I spent nine months in quarantine while my son Charlie was in treatment for stage 4 cancer at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York. No church. No gym. No outings to restaurants, no hosting dinner parties, no visits from friends and family, no Friday night date nights with my husband to the movie theater. Life as I knew and loved suddenly stopped completely. We even had to send our Louis-dog away. It was a scary and totally life-disrupting season. We were sequestered for what felt like an eternity in our tiny little apartment on Riverside and 100th street. Fear was always lurking, and some days it took the seat of honor at our dinner table. There were daily tears and weekly meltdowns. I wall-papered the walls of our apartment with scriptures and encouraging words begging for protection and glimmers of hope. I started writing and took daily walks for just sanity. The hardest part was the “not knowing” what the next day would hold, how bad it would get, and when or if life would ever go back to normal. The Corona virus has made me a passenger again on that rollercoaster ride of up and down emotions. One moment, I’m peaceful, even elated for this time-out-of-time with my family, cooking and taking walks together, phone catch-ups with family and friends, extra time to read and write, and popcorn movie nights. Just as quickly, I can slip into an interior black hole of worry. Corona has called into question the security of everything that is important to me: family, their health, job and financial security, plans and carefree fun. Confinement is demanding my best virtues, revealing some flaws and bringing me daily to my knees.
I remember snorkeling in a beautiful Hawaiian bay when out of nowhere my husband and I got caught in a dangerous rip tide. My first instinct was to fight the tide and swim as hard as I could back to shore. I was no match for the tide. Next, I panicked and tried to jump on my husband’s back which only put us both in jeopardy. It wasn’t until I surrendered and floated with the current that I eventually was brought to a safe and new shore.
These are strange and unsettling times for all of us. We need to be vessels of peace staying afloat, waiting to find our way through the riptide. The confinement during Charlie’s cancer treatment was a frightening time, but more beautifully it was a sacred, God-centered time filled with many surprises of true joy. Following are a couple of suggestions for surviving the Corona Upheaval!
- This is not forever. Create a daily routine.
- Look for any silver linings.
- Make joy a choice and a daily discipline. Enjoy simple things like tea and a cookie at 3 in the afternoon, set the dinner table with fresh flowers, call old friend’s on the phone, escape in a novel.
- Try something new like exploring your family tree on Ancestry.com, challenge yourself with the NY Times Crossword Puzzle, dare new recipes on my blog (my pesto, chili and granola recipes last for days!), plant an herb garden, visit a museum online (The Louvre, The Vatican, and the MET are surprisingly fabulous!), commit a scripture to memory like “Be still and know that I am God.”
- Be kind to yourself. For me, this means time alone spent in nature, voracious reading, exercise, prayer, coffee and dark chocolate.
- If you lose your cool, weep an ocean, just fall apart, ask for forgiveness if necessary, and pick yourself up and try again. The sun will come out in the morning.
- Be generous. You are suffering, but I assure you there are those in far worse circumstances. Find a way to ease someone else’s burden during this time. Confined at home, one can pray with intentionality and cover lots of people.
- Reach out. If you “hit the wall,” email me your phone number at Farrell@breadandhoneyblog.net and I promise to call you with a word of encouragement! I taped this prayer for protection above our apartment door in New York City so long ago and now have brought it out again. St. Patrick engraved it upon his armor breast plate:
God with me
God before me
God behind me
God in me
God beneath me
God above me
God on my right, God on my left.
Together we can do this!
Farrell

Never underestimate the redeeming power of a sense of humor! So many artists and comedians are doing their part in helping us smile through this! Check out Jimmy Fallon’s comedy show from home for a good laugh!
Jeanne Marchetti
March 23, 2020 at 6:06 amThank you.?
sandra silverstein
March 23, 2020 at 9:03 amThank you Farrell, always you are an inspiration, my oldest daughter read this and said to me, Im stopping at Trader Joe’s on the way home and buy flowers for the dinner table…….
Amey Warder
March 23, 2020 at 6:19 am♥️♥️
Cindy Lassing
March 23, 2020 at 6:40 amWhat a sweet, comforting post. Thanks for sharing!
Celestia ODonnell
March 23, 2020 at 6:40 am❤️
Celestia ODonnell
March 23, 2020 at 6:42 am❤️ so encouraging
Bell Newton
March 23, 2020 at 6:44 amAwesome! A great way to start the week! Thank you! ❤️
Kathy Davis
March 23, 2020 at 6:48 amThank you, Farrell!
Anonymous
March 23, 2020 at 7:15 amGreat post! Keeping us positive and hopeful!
Betsy Brack
March 23, 2020 at 9:07 pmThank you. Just thank you.
Margaret King
March 23, 2020 at 7:17 amYou always say it best ❤️
Mary Lou Johnson
March 23, 2020 at 8:29 amYou have a gift for knowing just what to say. Sending you and your sweet family much love.
Mary Lou
Judie Stroup
March 23, 2020 at 7:17 amFarrell, this is my 1st rodeo. When I read yours was 9 months, I quietly gasped. It immediately dawned on me that we don’t know how long the order to”stay inside” will be for us, how fast the virus
will spread around the world, how it will
impact our families & dear friends, down that useless worry hole. Your blog & always your picture made me realize all we do know & WHO is walking with us as the poem says. At the moment we are blessed to live in FL where the sun shines & Steve is playing golf today!
Thanks for sharing. We love you❣️
Gail Crockett
March 23, 2020 at 7:23 amFarrell, thank you ?. Hugs ?
Christi Turner
March 23, 2020 at 8:10 amThank you ❤️
I need hourly reminders and touchstones. This is a gift.
Elizabeth Reames
March 23, 2020 at 8:40 amThank you! We have added a prayer from “The Pocket Cathedral” to our family dinner time devotion. ❤️
Anne Mitchell
March 23, 2020 at 8:52 amPerfect Farrell and much needed. Thank you!
Debra Taylor
March 23, 2020 at 9:17 amThis is exactly what I needed to prepare myself for the week ahead. Thank you for being a blessing to me and so many others. ❤️
Susie Brannon
March 23, 2020 at 9:35 amGod’s in the midst of our battles. Hang on to Him??
Katie Hogan
March 23, 2020 at 9:49 amThis is great, thank you for sharing! <3
Pam Richardson
March 23, 2020 at 10:17 amIncredibly insightful words, Farrell. The emotions of frustration and fear you described are so similar to the ones I experienced during Al’s illness and during my second bout of breast cancer. My faith tells me that God has a plan for me, as He does for everyone. And I know, without a doubt, that God will never forsake me. I strive daily to “let go and let God…”
Mary Spalding
March 23, 2020 at 11:55 amPlease keep your post coming. I have read this one several times to calm me. Much love to all
Pam Zimmerman
March 23, 2020 at 12:42 pmThank you, Farrell . . . your words of comfort are always appreciated . . . now more than ever.
Marilyn
March 23, 2020 at 1:01 pmBeautifully written Farrell. Be safe, be well!!! XOXO
Dorothy
March 23, 2020 at 1:05 pmBeautiful Farrell! Wonderful reminders for me! xo
Diane Tucker
March 23, 2020 at 2:31 pmReading all the lovely comments regarding your beautiful post! Ditto! Another home run for the talented fair maiden, Farrell!
love and hugs!
Barb Turner
March 23, 2020 at 3:31 pmLove This!
Thank you Ferrell-
Let’s take care of one another.
Christine Reed
March 23, 2020 at 9:35 pmLove the simplicity of the prayer. We are in the season of Lent. We often to choose to give up something as a spiritual practice during this season. Well-we are giving up more than most of us usually do. A good opportunity to reflect on Christ’s suffering and sacrifice, of which we can never equate truly. And to wait patiently for the Risen Christ.
Oddly, Americans are collective in our social isolation. The Frist is offering free on line viewing of exhibits as well as ideas for art projects for kids. Lots of unique ways to connect emotionally while social distancing. Thank goodness for technology. During years that I have been home due to injury, I’ve gotten creative in finding ways to serve. Sending cards and notes, consoling my long distance friends and family members over the phone have been my main ways to serve. There’s a wonderful charity called, moreloveletters.com that lists requests for people needing a letter or card of encouragement. It’s been my go to. Also, I am thinking I will prepare thinking of you and get well cards to send in bulk to hospitals. I plan to address them “dear community member” and I plan to only sign my first name. Healthcare workers would love to receive thank you notes I’m guessing. I plan to tape the envelopes rather than lick them, and wash my hands before writing sessions.
Jane McCracken
March 24, 2020 at 9:32 amAs always your words, your encouragement and your suggestions comfort all of us!
Thank you Farrell for your many gifts. I treasure them all.
Cindy lee
April 2, 2020 at 8:12 amThank you so much for the words of encouragement I needed that Yesterday, today a friend sent this to me. ❤️
Eugene Regen
April 6, 2020 at 8:00 amAh, my dear Farrell, as is so very evident from both the sheer numbers and particularly the emotional intensity of the observations, this beautiful reflection is, hands down, perhaps the most moving and meaningful Bread & Honey in memory. “in the belly of the whale”, indeed!