Becca
Brooklyn, New York: This is my daughter, trying to be a kid (ignoring her mom who is asking her to stop touching things).
Katie
Alexandria, Virginia: This is a picture of me in my backyard with my fifteen "Quaranthings" for my school's community art project. I gratefully welcomed this project to reflect and consider the things that have helped me do my job or given me respite from the computer. It serves as a time capsule for this moment in history, and it was fun to see the object my students chose, too!
Kim
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Every afternoon I take a walk around my neighborhood with my one-year-old, Arcadia. With the unrest in our city this week as we collectively mourn George Floyd, our neighborhood restaurants and shops boarded up and closed, and the sounds of helicopters, sirens, and flash bangs are ever-present. I was personally challenged when I heard Rev. Al Sharpton say, “There’s a difference between peace and quiet. Some people just want quiet.” I am learning to be okay with disquiet and disruption - physically and emotionally - if it leads to peace and justice.
Nicola
Paris, France: Until the lockdown was eased in France at the beginning of May, the stay-at-home rules were very strict. We could only leave our homes for "essential" reasons and exercise was limited to once per day, for one hour and within a 1 km radius. Seeing this bunting ("hang in there") every day on my daily walk always made me smile.
Yana
Baltimore, Maryland: My 3-year old during our daily walk/bike ride in Patterson Park, now with masks. He found a way to keep us several feet away from runners with this stick, said "we don't want to get sick mommy".
Megan
Papa’s new lunch break
Brittany
Freeport, Illinois: Lennon visiting his great grandpa, who is 90 years his elder. Socially distanced and out in the fresh Midwest air.
Kelly Ann
Cleveland, Ohio: I’m a manicurist. When we were able to open back up May 15, I told my boss I’d be wearing scrubs. She didn’t have a problem with my new dress code. With having to wash my clothes every night when I get home from work, it just made sense. Only once have I been asked if I’m a frontline worker. I quickly replied no. Blood makes me squeamish.
Dixie
New Jersey: My first grandbaby was born on February 23rd. I was able to help my daughter until March 14th. That was the last day I held him. I am able to see him, masked and distanced and of course thank god for FaceTime.
Stephanie
Seattle, Washington: Our district was the first in the country to move to Distance Learning, as we are in the town where the original cases of Covid-19 were discovered. This photo was taken on March 6, 2020, nearly 3 months ago, on our third day of this new reality of school at home. I am equal parts proud of these littles and their adjustment and terrified about how this is their expected reality. The battles about signing on to the computer have MOSTLY ceased and we usually only each cry once a day now (ha!), they have memorized our phone passwords and freely Facetime their friends and aunts and uncles without even asking anymore (again, ha!), and they instinctively move to the other side of the street or confidently say "excuse me, ma'am/sir. six feet apart, please!" when unminding adults without masks or awareness of them come too close (they're 5 and 7!). But, they also no longer ask how long until they will see their friends again and have accepted this as their future, forever? They write "I hate Covid-19" in driveway chalk. They are on "playing learning games"/"watching learning documentaries"/"playing Minecraft and watching Netflix while their mother teaches full time" for most of their day. We are the lucky ones with adaptable jobs and excellent health and masks and reliable internet and multiple computers. But we are all also losing so much and the weight of knowing how much more so many of our brothers and sisters in neighboring communities are losing is almost too much to bear.
Coralie
Montreal, Quebec, Canada: My boyfriend and I, we met on January 2nd this year, and were taking our time during three months but the pandemic had other plan for us and « forced » us to live together since late March because we wanted to be together during lockdown, not knowing how long it will last when it all began. 😁 So far so good. 🤞🏻
Lorraine
Florida: My grandson and me visiting my mother.
Margaret
Austin, Texas: My husband and I welcomed our first baby (after our own infertility journey 💙) on March 30, 2020. My mom stayed home from work starting March 16, before the widespread closures began around us, so she could be healthy & available to visit as soon as baby arrived. This is her with a construction mask (all we could find, before fabric masks were such a thing!) — warmly labeled “Mimi” — and washable gown, helping me take care of Matthew at less than 1 week old.
Sarah
Ellicott City, Maryland: My oldest daughter is following along to a dance class led by her older cousin who lives in North Carolina. She’s wearing the costume she was supposed to wear for her very first dance recital that will never happen. As a working mom, I returned to work from maternity leave about three weeks before the world stopped so this all has been mostly very hard. However, I try to stop and soak in moments like this that I know wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Lauren
Life looks like this park by my house. The only place I go out to for walks and runs between Zoom classes. Lucky my partner does the essential errands. Stay disease free!
Sarah
Metairie, Louisiana: I had my daughter Eloise in April and she has yet to meet most of our family due to COVID. At three weeks old we drove out to introduce her to my mother, step-father, and 94 year old PawPaw (she was named after his late wife, my Grannie, Eloise).
Jaime
South of Boston, Massachusetts: Life right now is with a 1 year old trying to keep him (and me) entertained while balancing working from home with my husband. 💛
Pinky
Manila, Philippines: We’re under a strict lockdown and I haven’t left the house since mid-March. Quarantine discovery: I enjoy baking! And I was able to build a daily yoga habit so there’s some routine keeping my day together. The best days are when I can pop the dish into the oven, work out while it’s baking, and then come back just as the oven timer buzzes. The little wins mean so much more these days.
Jamie
St. Louis, Missouri: I have a feeling our summer is going to look a lot like this. I'm so glad they play well together!
Jessica
Needham, Massachusetts: Workin’ mom office mates