Have you Zoomed?
I have been Zooming all week. Staff meetings, department meetings, morning meetings, read alouds for my kids, a special “happy birthday” for my son, and my favorite — happy hour. Zoom happy hour has become a regular part of my day, when I carve out time to enjoy a drink (or more) and chat with friends.
During this isolating time, it is so important to keep social, and I have found Zoom to be my key to feeling some sort of normalcy. This week alone, I connected with high school friends, college friends, and family.
These calls have been vital to my week and help keep me sane and grounded each night.
Once we have put the kids to bed, hubby and I give ourselves a little time to make a cocktail or pour a glass of wine and then get comfy on the couch to start the call. We don’t always Zoom together. He was in bed early one night and I Zoomed pretty late with high school friends. We Zoom our families and friends together and separately and get to feel like we are out enjoying everyone’s company.
Zoom is also helping people connect to others they may not have usually picked up the phone to talk to. Whether it’s distance or time, Zoom doesn’t discriminate, and everyone can join. On a Zoom the other night, I gave some friends a tour of my condo. We’ve been friends since high school but don’t live close, and when I got up to get a refill, they asked for a tour. It actually felt like they were here with me!
Another important Zoom was with my aunt and cousins. My aunt currently works at one of the Boston hospitals and is having some very long days. We scheduled a Zoom, and it was so nice to see her and check in on her day. We discussed some family recipes, poked fun at my cousin’s gnocchi recipe that may have not gone so well, and had a laugh at my other cousin with the internet trouble. It really felt like we were all in the same living room together and alleviated some of the stress we are all feeling.
There are a number of platforms to connect with your friends and loved ones right now — try them out! It is so important that while we are socially distancing, we are still keeping social. Turn off the news, put down the phone, and stay present with your friends and family with a group call!