I don’t have to tell you the pandemic has changed life for all of us. Many people lost loved ones. Others had to struggle with not being able to visit and support family in hospitals and nursing homes. When my dear hubby Joe was in the hospital with an infection last November, I couldn’t even visit, much less my daughter and grandchildren, who all wanted to make sure he was okay. Most of us are now looking at getting jabbed with vaccines (Twice! Ugh!!) which may or may not make us feel ill as a side effect (Raising my hand as one who felt AWFUL afterward).
But as authors we’ve had to struggle with yet another conundrum. . .how—or not—to address COVID-19 in our stories.
For Harlequin, and consequently for me, we’ve decided to write around the pandemic without addressing it at all. (Although I may choose to write and self-publish a story taking place during the pandemic.) Please God the pandemic will be far away in the review mirror, if not soon, then at least within the next year or two. Quarantine, masks, social distancing will hopefully make way for restaurants, concerts, and sports. Families being able to spend face-to-face quality time together. Hugs, cuddles, and kisses.
So I’ve just finished writing my January 2021 as-yet-to-be-named book in my Rocky Mountain Family series for Harlequin Love Inspired, and I don’t know how many times I’ve cringed as I’ve had my characters shake hands, high-five, hug and even kiss inside a hospital. Thank you, COVID-19 for turning me into a certifiable germaphobe.
My Favorites to see live…The Texas Tenors!
In real life, I’m aching to go to music concerts (and have gone so far as to buy tickets for September and October…SO THERE, PANDEMIC!!), attend church again and sing in choir and celebrate special occasions with my extended family.
In my books, I’m rejoicing that my characters never had to suffer through a pandemic. They can live life the way things were. And in a year or so, we’ll be able to see what our new normal will be and maybe I can adjust my books to that.
So tell me…what do you most miss that the pandemic has taken from you? Please be sure to include anything you’d like me to pray about.
My July Rocky Mountain Family book, The Marine’s Mission, is now available for preorder!
~~Love Courageously~~ Publisher's Weekly Bestselling, award-winning author of 30 novels, Deb Kastner enjoys writing contemporary inspirational western stories set in small communities. She feels especially blessed to be able to include faith as a natural and genuine part of her characters' lives. Deb lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and a pack of miscreant mutts. She is blessed with three adult daughters and two grandchildren. Her favorite hobby is spoiling her grandchildren, but she also enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music (The Texas Tenors are her fav), singing in the church choir, and exploring the Rocky Mountains on horseback.
I miss traveling to see family.
Hi Deb! I agree with Mary. This has been a long year. Miss going to the theater for shows with family, especially my 7 year old granddaughter who started going to the theater at 4 – Daniel Tiger. At our last performance February 2020, she was so grown up when she told the usher she knew were our family seats were. Her mom and I chuckled. Miss traveling to visit with family and friends. Haven’t seen my 4 year old granddaughter and middle son since the hour we spent with them at Christmas. FaceTime is nice but miss the face to face. Now that hubby and I have had both doses of vaccine, as well as family and friends we may venture out more. In the last three weeks we have finally began eating out. Nice break for this cook. Difficult to not shake hands and hug people. Best wishes.
I am in South Australia and we have been lucky. While I have a mask I have worn one once and that was last year when I had to have a covid test due to having a bad cold. We have been back at church since July last year and we are able to sing. 75% capacity you don’t need a mask more you do but we are never at that amount of capacity. I am not a hugger so have enjoyed the personal space. But I do feel for those who have been in lockdowns etc.
I am glad LI isn’t doing the pandemic.
I have missed being able to go away (thats partly the cats too) and feel safe staying in a hotel. I missed out on seeing Narelle last year so am looking forward to being able to see friends if they are over this way. I also miss the Church lunches and morning teas that have food not in packets.
I have to say, I honestly have missed a whole lot! I did miss being in church, as I didn’t go back to our in-person services til after Mom passed. I wasn’t about to let her go! I do miss seeing people smile, though. When Mom was in the hospital, one person could be in her room at a time. There were 2 times that we had 2 (that I know of), because someone in the lobby forgot to put down that I was there and let someone else go up. We got scolded once for that, though the nurse was still nice about it. I’d take my mask off every now and then in Mom’s room to give her a kiss, too, when the nurses weren’t around!
I miss libraries being open–I can borrow ebooks though as wel as the other things already mentioned.
British Columbia is currently in a fairly tight lockdown with surging variants of covid. We’ve both had one shot so far.
I miss traveling freely, eating out, having our kids/grands come for the weekend, HUGGING PEOPLE, and most of all, church. That has been fourteen long months now with no clear end in sight. Hoping by September???
Interesting that Harlequin made an executive decision to leave the pandemic out of their fiction. It makes sense, though. I, too, am writing as though it doesn’t exist, and we’ll see in the next year or two when it is time to “address” it in fiction. What will shift permanently in society? It will be interesting to see!
I miss extended family soooo much! We were finally able to bring the grandkids to my sister’s animal sanctuary recently but we’ve only had one shot so we’re still a month out of being able to see my parents. I’ve never wanted to be part of a herd (immunity) so much in my life!
Oh, how I long to eat out. We’ve done takeout a few times, which is something we never did pre-COVID, but I miss date night. FaceTime is just not the same. My granddaughter just recently came to live with us which is a huge blessing, now to have both grandkids close.
How wonderful that you can be in church again. I long for the day. Watching it on YouTube isn’t the same thing at all. I can’t wait to start singing in the choir again and not just along with my CDs.
While there are a lot of things that have remained the same for me in my sedentary and reclusive life, handshakes and hugs are definitely on the miss list. I have a friend at church who loves to give (and receive) bear hugs. It has been a long, long time. Lord willing, we will get back to it before our arms shrivel up from disuse! :)
Hi, I have missed seeing my son, my grandson and my daughter in law, we have not seen them for a while, Thank God for telephones and messenger. Have a Great week and stay safe.
I haven’t seen my parents since 2019.
My State has been lucky I know Victoria has only just gotten back to church in the past month or so. We still need to be careful but to be honest a lot of people have become very complacent. Not having had one case at all in the area and the whole region had 6 cases back in March/April and most were acquired overseas makes us less cautious. I hope we done have an outbreak but do feel for other places that have suffered. I have several friends who lost parents and family members and I still miss chatting with Darlene Franklin.
Hugs <3
I know this sounds funny, at least to me anyway, but I am a homebody by nature & I thought sure this pandemic wouldn’t really affect me because I don’t go out much anyway. HA! How naive I was. My husband was furloughed for almost three months in March last year (thankfully he found a temporary job), things closed down, grocery stores became a nightmare to think about even going into (thankfully we did some MAJOR shopping before things got bad), our Spring break vacation to visit family got cancelled at the last minute, our church stopped gathering in person, “stay home, stay safe” became almost a trademark saying, etc. Being told I CAN’T go anywhere or do anything actually made me go stir crazy for the first time ever!
So while things have gotten better a year later, you still can’t give hugs, our church is cautious about in-person gathering (no Sunday school adult or kids yet), travel is iffy (we chose not to anyway), and visiting friends is un-advisable (or at least limit the numbers). BUT…it hasn’t taken my faith in God :-) I can still watch our church service online, can still read my Bible, and can still pray. That’s something the world or this pandemic can’t take away.
And there’s hope on the horizon with the vaccine…..my husband and I are scheduled to have our second dose in two weeks. I pray this is the answer to eventually eradicating the virus & kicking it to the curb!
I think we’re all tired of the pandemic. Part of me wants to rebel just because!
I hear you on that. When my hubby Joe was in the hospital, it was one person/visit a day. With my dad it was one person/one visit/one hour. Tough for us visitors!
Ah, libraries. I hate that the pandemic has made me into a germaphobe. Sharing books is wonderful!
Joe and I have each had one shot, as well. So our second is next week and then it’s two weeks more before we’re officially “protected.” I’m just praying I can get back to church choir come August.
I do miss hugs!
It’s hard not seeing family. I keep thinking back to Thanksgiving a couple of years ago when the whole extended family gathered around my mom’s table. Now the most we ever have is my hubby, the two grandkids and one daughter.
That’s so hard. And my parents don’t know how to FaceTime so we have to use the telephone and email.
Thanks! Back atcha.
I totally know what you mean, Trixi. I worked at home before the pandemic and really didn’t think it would be such a big deal, but staying at home because I want to and being TOLD to stay home are two totally different things! Now I want to go out just because!