Over the past two decades, we’ve experienced episodes that have instilled grief, anxiety and fear in all of us. Three that come to mind are the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the 2008 Great Recession, and the current Coronavirus pandemic. With no vaccination, no effective treatments and limited medical capacity, too many have fallen victim to COVID-19. Businesses have slowed or shut down, some of them permanently, unfortunately. Too many of us have lost our jobs. The economy has grinded down to a halt. “Social distancing” means most of us are living in isolation, unable to interact personally with our family and friends. The world looks and operates very differently from the way it did just a short time ago.
As we adjust to this new world, there’s a strange irony. Many of us have more idle time on our hands. And many of us are putting that idle time to use by interacting with our family and friends by telephone or by video conferencing via FaceTime, Skype and Zoom.
Last month I helped my mother set up a Zoom account over the phone. Discussions with my mother about technology is ordinarily a frustrating experience — and this was even more so over the phone. It’s two hours of my life that I’ll never get back! And two hours of comic relief for Bryn who couldn’t help but eavesdrop. It’s been smooth sailing since, as I now keep in touch with my mom more frequently than I did before. While I miss hugging her and spending time with her in person, video conferencing is the next best thing. It also allows my brothers and sisters and me to “virtually” meet with my parents together as if we were right there in their home. But without the wonderful Italian meals.
Last week I set up a “virtual happy hour” with seven of my closest friends. While we prefer meeting in person, we enjoyed catching up despite each of us hunkering down in our homes with our immediate families. Our wives enjoyed a “virtual coffee” earlier in the day, although I suspect their conversation topics differed from ours!
Hopefully, this pandemic will be in the rearview mirror soon. The world will be a different place as we mourn those who passed away, and as life returns to as close to the normalcy that we enjoyed previously. In the meantime, I will continue to use my time to improve my relationships with family and friends as we all do our part to slow the spread.
DeFusco Law will remain open on a “virtual basis,” consulting with our clients, including new clients, over the telephone or by video conferencing. Please reach out with any questions or concerns. Connect with us on Facebook and sign up to receive our newsletter for helpful information.
Stay safe, and stay connected!