On Christmas morning, after gifts were opened and before the extended family celebrations began, my husband and I went to Starbucks.  It was like an extra gift to us that no one was in the drive thru.  The Starbucks angels were sitting there waiting on me to show up.  But they weren’t.  The friendly voice on the speaker greeting me with “what can I get started for you today” was silent.  Thinking their speaker may be on the outs, we pulled up to the window.  Window closed.  Lights out.  No overly energetic 20-year-old hipster standing at the register.  It was then that I realized they were closed.  On a day I really needed them.  I was stuck in the uncomfortable dichotomy of being disappointed that I wouldn’t get my grande café latte, almond milk with sugar free vanilla and knowing that it was the right thing for Starbucks to do for their employees.  Letting those tattooed, long haired friendly people stay home to celebrate the holidays with their families was the Christmas spirit.

That’s how I feel about the corona virus shutting down my life.

It sucks.  Pardon my turpiloquio (that’s as close as we are getting to Italy for a while), but I am so bummed that my NCAA basketball tickets are worthless now, my weekend in Nashville got nixed and my kid is missing the best part (the ending) of his senior year of high school.  Also, I’m thankful our country is taking it seriously.  Sure, I’m 43 and mostly healthy so it’s unlikely I’ll get more than cold-like symptoms if I contract the corona virus, but that would mean I may expose my sweet 84-year-old neighbor, Mrs. Peggy, with it and it would very likely be deadly for her.  I love Mrs. Peggy.  If looking out for her best interest means my life needs to come to a screeching halt for a few days, then I think that’s reasonable. After all, I think we’d all agree that these cancellations are 1st world problems when compared to someone’s health.

It seems odd to me that the virus is so political on Facebook with many of my republican friends calling it an overreaction and my democrat friends planning their own funerals.  The virus has no political affiliation and it’s spreading.  I probably won’t need a hospital bed, but Mrs. Peggy could so let’s all think with some heart.

Call each other to check in…..but God forbid don’t come to my house, because we don’t have enough toilet paper for everyone.  Ride it out.  Show kindness.  It will all be over soon, and we will have things to talk about for a while afterwards.

And I propose that Starbucks be proactive by installing self-serve drive thru lattes.  For the good of the people.