Embrace 2020 83/365: air hugging like a crazy person

I'm sharing this photo with permission from my adorable mom (aka Mama Koh). I braved two grocery stores in search of her requests this morning and made a drop at her house. I disinfected my hands about 7 times through the in/out of the grocery stores and before picking up the grocery bags and moving them to my Mom's door. She and I air hugged like crazy people from a safe distance and I stayed just long to check in with her and make sure she was OK and not in need of anything else. And as I drove away, I thought to myself, "My Mom is amazing." She is still smiling and laughing and sending cute GIFs and emojis even though staying at home is NOT EASY for her. She is an incredibly spry 83-year-old woman who is used to being on the go constantly and her church community is a huge part of her life. But she is staying put and accepting help, even though that is probably really hard for her too.

I just wanted to share this and beg you -- via my Mom's bright, wonderful smile -- to STAY HOME + use your voice to ask others to do the same. No playdates, no small "oh, it's just one other family" gatherings, etc. Every point of contact increases the odds of spreading and perpetuating this thing. I've seen a number of framings I hope crack through people's heads: 1️⃣ One of them is that you should operate as if YOU have the virus and stay away from people accordingly. 2️⃣ The second is to imagine you have the virus and need to report to public health officials all the places you have been and people you have been in contact with. And I'll take it a step further and suggest you imagine how those people you have been in contact with will feel and be impacted when you tell them you have the virus. Use this as a self-check and act accordingly and please stay home. If my Mom can do it, so can you.