They say, “time changes everything.” Well, I am not sure I have ever experienced such drastic change in such a short period of time.
In August 2019, for the first time in 20 years, Billy and I found ourselves home alone. Our son Will had been attending college and would graduate in December 2020, with degrees in Finance and International Business. Blayke, our youngest, had just started at UK to pursue an Engineering degree. We were impressed with her acclimation to college life. She probably had returned home a total of 4 weekends (besides Christmas break). Will was enjoying all things Lexington.
Proudly Billy and I were filling our time with sports, family, and friends. I had adjusted to two loads of laundry for an entire week and dinner was takeout or restaurant dining with the company of my choice. Most nights consisted of McDonalds cheeseburger meal, Diet Coke and strawberry pies with friends and family after games. If it was a weekend or the games were away, we added some variety to include finer dining. I had no one making dinner demands or committing my time for me. IT WAS FABULOUS!
Perhaps my most favorite memory was walking by their bedrooms and seeing neat and organized rooms and perfectly tufted carpet with vacuum marks. The utility and grocery bills were all cut in half. I seriously was living my best life and so was my family.
Four short weeks ago, Billy and I were busy enjoying all things basketball. We attended the Regional Tourney at Diddle Arena; both boys’ and girls’ teams had a lot of hype surrounding their chances. While ending short of a regional championship, it was such an exciting time to be a Cougar fan! I truly love good local basketball and kids in general.
My free schedule had even allowed Billy and me to take in middle school and jr. pro games of younger cousins Brady Hinton, Allie Kitchens, Annie and Caroline Owen. Furthermore, my beloved Kentucky Wildcats were beginning to show promise as their regular season ended. Perhaps the most disappointing and reoccurring theme is “never knowing what would have been.”
Beyond that I was also anticipating a loaded Senior class returning the baseball and softball diamonds. Many of these kids I have watched for years, as they pursued dreams and championships. Our LC Softball team was ranked very high preseason in the 4th Region, and in my opinion had the best chance since inception at a state tournament run. I am partial to this group, since Blayke played with them before turning in her cleats for a tennis racket plus the family connections with junior Abby Hinton being a key member, Kennedy Nichols being my surrogate daughter, and the anticipated return of the athletic Vanzant twins, Paige and Peyton.
Also, this group as 7th & 8th graders, coached by Amy Hinton, made a strong run in 2016 to place third in the state. Many believe and I concur if Paige Vanzant had not attended her mom’s poorly scheduled wedding (Lori McClure knows I love her and her husband), they could have won it all.
In baseball, I never underestimate Coach Ethan Meguiar’s ability to polish willing and dedicated kids into championship contenders. While the baseball team had graduated some powerhouse players in the past few years, last year’s team steadily impressed me and left me with an appetite to see how they would shock some this year.
In addition to sports, we had not one, but five vacations planned through June, starting March 13. Will had been studying abroad in Seville, Spain since January to complete his International Business requirements. We planned to leave on Friday, March 13, to meet him in Dublin, Ireland. I mean what a bucket list quest--Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, and a fully packed itinerary from Dublin to Seville to London. Those who have traveled with me, know I don’t sleep much.
We never considered not going, until we were told we couldn’t. On Wednesday morning, March 10 I thought maybe I should purchase some hand sanitizer, wipes, gloves, and masks, but was still going.
That evening, President Trump scheduled a news conference where he announced Americans abroad should try to get home before midnight Friday, March 13. I shifted from vacation planning and packing to “MOM MODE.” I raced to my office (for better internet service) and began scurrying the Delta website for a flight from remote Seville, Spain to Nashville. I booked one of the last three flights and was trying to pay for a bag and choose a seat when the entire Delta airlines site crashed. I called the help desk and an automated recording said average wait time would be six hours. But I did exhale because I had a confirmed ticket for my boy.
I called him elated to share the news, and he said “Mom, some of my friends don’t have the money to book a ticket home,” I hung up the phone and sobbed, at my desk, alone on a Wednesday night. When I gathered myself, I called back (it was 3 a.m. there) and told him to give his friends my card number and if they could find flights to charge it to us and we would figure out payment later. Subsequently at 1 a.m. EST, UK stepped up and offered to help get the remainder of the kids’ home.
It was a three-hour emotional roller coaster of knowing who should be acting first me or the university. In the meantime, I have Blayke at UK trying to finish Calculus and Chemistry midterms - sneezing and coughing (due to severe allergies), trying to squelch all the rumors about school closing.
Forward to Friday – March 13 - Blayke wrapped up her freshman stay at the dorm (leaving most of her stuff – which we would later have a deadline to retrieve) and returned home briefly to pack and go stay with friends. We had hoped to get Will tested before letting her come home.
Exhausted, drained and headed to the airport to fetch Will at 1 a.m., I was hopeful he would get tested once he landed in Atlanta for coronavirus. The screenings done in airport consisted of “sir, are you feeling ok?” That’s IT! So, we began our 14-day self-quarantine. On Monday, I badgered all the clinicians I could think of for a test—ha-ha- we were told by multiple physician offices unless he presented symptoms including a fever greater than 100.4, there is no way he could get tested. We allowed Blayke to come home on Monday, March 16; so it began- our two-person household returned to four.
We navigated self-quarantined as best we could sleeping late, walking, cooking, watching movies, coyote hunting (ask Billy) and playing games. We were able to return to work this week (for which I am grateful). None of us have symptoms so we assume Will returned home healthy, and trying to take sensible precautions to remain symptom free.
To be fair, my kids have really adjusted better than me. I had gotten used to my new freedom, but now I find myself in a role akin to Cinderella, cooking, cleaning, and laundry. We have played Monopoly, chess, worked a puzzle, given impromptu haircuts, and even done some eyebrow waxing. Here I sit typing this with $6,000 in airline vouchers, some returned hotel fees, some credited tuition expenses, and a few reimbursed expenses, optimistic that I will get to redeem these and start my empty nesting phase anew.
I am thankful to have my boy and girl home and under one roof. I remind myself daily we are blessed, as Daysville is a beautiful quarantine and socially distancing locale. Spain is now overrun with coronavirus positive cases with very limited space to move about and completely government allocated resources. Social distancing with millions of people in a small space is nearly impossible.
I remind my kids: this is inconvenient and disappointing but a far distance from tragic. I pray we will look back on this time one day with both great reverence and a little humor (mainly how bad my hair looks), and I pray we are mindful in the future not to take our freedoms and blessings for granted.