Earthquakes and COVID 19

I had actually planned to do one more blogpost about our trip before posting anything more about COVID-19.  That post was going to have pictures of all the things I have been doing during our 14-Day Self Quarantine.  I've felt quite safe here in my little bubble. Except for walks around the neighborhood, we've been out twice, once to get some groceries from Fred Meyers Pick up Service and another time to Cafe Rio for their curbside delivery.   Neither of us have had any symptoms and our twice daily temperature checks have been further evidence of an article that George read a few months ago concerning a study that indicated the average normal temperature of people was dropping.  It appears that 98.6 is no longer the norm.  My average temperature has been 97.5.

I've been good about not inundating myself with news thus not terrifying myself.  I have watched quite a few of President Trump's updates, and while he still is not a good speaker and says some crazy things, mostly I've felt proud to be an American as I listen to all the amazingly good things that are happening during this national emergency.  I've felt like I knew enough to be informed but still remain calm.

Yesterday I was doing some dusting on higher shelves in my office. I had just stepped off a step stool when the whole house shook.  My first thought was that it was a really strong wind, but when it went on and on I realized it was something else.  Next I started wondering what Matt was doing in the basement that was causing the house to shake!  After a couple of seconds I realized that it was an earthquake, the first one I've ever experienced.  It is scary!  My Southern California roommate at BYU used to demonstrate earthquake safety to us by bracing herself in the doorway and singing, "I feel the earth move under my feet."  I didn't think quickly enough to get in a doorway or sing but I was immediately thankful that I hadn't still been standing on the top of a step stool!

The peace that I've been feeling disappeared and just as our house had been shaken, so was I.  The earthquake, rising death rates, horrors in Spain, another month of staying at home and the fact that George is going back to work at the office tomorrow, all combined to just totally knock me from the calm place where I've been living.

My feelings about George going to work is a microcosm of the worry of the whole world.  On a personal level, we need this job but we also need to stay healthy.  On a global level, we need to get the economy going again while slowing the spread of the disease.  What is the balance?  I pray for the leaders of the world who face this question everyday.  And for the experts who give advice to these leaders.  And for the researchers who are feverishly working to develop a vaccine and medicines that can help when the virus is contracted.

Scriptures, prayers and a good nights sleep have restored my equilibrium.  George did go to work, armed with hand sanitizer and a mask and my admonition to WASH HIS HANDS A LOT!  I am hoping that he will mostly be working from home in the coming weeks.

I'm looking forward to this weekend when we will be listening to the leaders of our church, men that we revere as prophets, seers and revelators.  That will be so calming.  I am sure their message to us will echo this admonition from Isaiah given thousands of years ago.