Andrà Tutto Bene
Everything will be fine.
It’s our current mantra here in Italy. Day 6 of our Stay In Place Order and I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had ups and downs. Yesterday was a tough day. The seriousness paired with a miserably cloudy and cold day was hard.
Some of our main challenges:
We miss family and friends.
Our house is impossible to heat. We are freezing.
Watching the virus numbers go up around the world, especially the USA, hurts our hearts.
Hands dry, cracking, bleeding and painful. If yours aren’t the same, you’re not doing it right.
Some of our blessings:
We live in the countryside, so we can walk and get outside without hassle. Walking keeps me sane and I know cycling keeps Mark right in the head.
We have internet (aka Netflix and Facetime) to stay connected
We can go to the grocery store and no one is hoarding (I want to know who hoarder #1 is who started this toilet paper hoarding pandemonium, because who ever it was, he/she deserves a viral marketing award. USA, you cray!)
We aren’t living in a direct Covid19 Red Zone.
We feel safe.
We have time to read and nap.
Time to catch up on life that got away from us when in California.
Reconnecting with old hobbies and even old friends
Trying new recipes and drinking wine
Binging movie, podcasts and tv shows sans guilt
More snuggles with Elliot (he helps keep was warm afterall!)
More time to shop online and support local businesses - even enjoy ‘take away’ which is now a thing here!
Our clients are awesome and are sticking with us. They know this will clear up soon.
We are doing just fine. And the sun has arrived. The sun cures everything…and I’m actually a firm believer that the sun is the anecdote to so many worries. I also believe that warmer temperatures will help suffocate the virus.
But, we still worry. We worry about our California. Our family. Our parents. Our nephew had surgery on Friday and just him being in a hospital with sick people, not tested for Covid19 because there aren’t enough tests (where’s that mind blown emoji?) had me in and out of panic attacks. We worry that people aren’t taking this seriously.
We worry that because school is closed, kids will have playdates and be around each other still.
We worry that young people believe they are immune, that they think only old people are dying. A healthy and handsome 25yo Italian young man is in critical condition fighting for his life. Germs don’t discriminate. Everyone’s immune system either has what it takes to beat a virus or it doesn’t. Young, old, fit or unhealthy. It’s a game of genetic russian roulette. Are YOU willing to bet your life? Those of your kids? Your parents?
We worry that people aren’t taking heed from Italy. Italy’s ‘numbers’ were the same as USA just two weeks ago. Italy is testing, the USA isn’t … you know what that means, right??? IT’S THERE. It’s already among you in massive silent numbers. And only a matter of time until it strikes close to your home and heart.
This virus has a trajectory that is proven the same everywhere. No one has the ability to tell you that you are safe, it’s not there, you won’t be affected IF THEY AREN’T TESTING. This isn’t an over-reaction, this isn’t a drill. We are living it. This isn’t SARS, swine flu or other epidemics from the past. This is extremely fast and has proven the world over to be extremely deadly.
While we welcome the concern from friends about us here in Italy, it baffles us why they aren’t seeing this for what it is. The only thing that stops this is self-quarantine. Circle the wagons around your family now. Today. Pretend you are in Italy as we are.
Mark and I predicted this would happen and it’s why we flew to Italy as soon as we could. I’ve said many times we feel safer here thanks to Italy’s swift and unrelenting actions. I only wish I could have scooped up my entire family and brought them with us. We are on the road to being free of this virus. We come from your future. We are here to tell you to: Stay home, order in (at least you all have Amazon Prime, Door Dash, etc), practice social distancing if you must leave the house, wash your hands until they are painful, wear a mask if you’re coughing or sneezing even at home, check on elderly neighbors if you are healthy and for god sake, stop hoarding toilet paper! It’s totally doable, and truly, not that bad (refer to the list above as the pros actually outweigh the cons). It has its moments, but there is something to be said about staying in your own little safe spot in the world called home.
If you do as we are, I can worry less about YOU. And you will also be able to join us in our mantra, ‘Andrà tutto bene’. Everything will be fine.
Why the rainbow? The first day of the order, Italian children everywhere made drawings of rainbows with the mantra, ‘Andrà tutto bene’ to post on their windows to share with the world outside. The underlying patriotism and positivity of the Italian people during this time is immeasurable. Connecting with song, art, dance, facebook groups sharing the hospital heroes….it’s part of what makes our heart feel at home.
