Jeannine Gerkman, Author of Children's books, Poet, reviews delightful picture books
How are you doing out there? We’re all hunkered down in our homes riding out this Coronavirus Pandemic and hoping our social distancing will keep us and our loved ones alive. Sooo, my Story Time at Books Inc. has been cancelled until further notice.
https://www.booksinc.net/event/storytime-jeannine-gerkman-books-inc-palo-alto
Stay healthy and safe.
I suspect many of us will look back at this “shelter in place” with nostalgia. Not to say there isn’t danger and stress and anxiety, but when we look back on this time of forced isolation; we’ll remember the extra hours we spent with family, gazed fondly at our friends’ and colleagues’ faces on Zoom or Team or Skype, watched animals frolic on live cams, experimented with that old forgotten recipe, laughed at memes on Facebook, waved at neighbors and deliverymen as we took our daily walks (careful to stay six feet away).
The “pause” button has been pushed. We can look at it as a worry or we can look at it as a gift. Children are home with their parents. Kind of like the “snow days” when I was a little kid in Seattle. Everyone stayed home. We enjoyed each other’s company, played in the snow… Time – a precious gift – has given us space to re-evaluate priorities, strengthen bonds of love, and do things we’ve always been meaning to do (just as long as it doesn’t involve leaving the house). Let’s treasure it.
We started out the year
With loads and loads of hope
Today it’s only March
But we’re wondering how we’ll cope
We’re facing a pandemic
That’s grown exponentially
A unique global crisis
As all the world can see
We’re blocking off our borders
The grocery shelves are bare
We’re hunkering down in isolation
We’ve had quite a scare
To display love for our neighbors
We stay at least six feet away
Wash our hands assiduously
And won’t forget to pray…
For the essential people at the front lines
Helping and coping as we speak
Manufacturers providing PPEs,
ventilators, test kits — Flattening the peak
The doctors, nurses, police and media
Working hard to keep us informed and secure
The families who’ve lost loved ones
To help them to endure
The teachers teaching remotely
Children home from schools
Restaurant workers adapting
Creatively living within new rules
These days of social distancing
Let’s socially reconnect
Through Zoom, Team, calls and letters
Give encouragement and respect
Tell your friends, family and clients
That you love and wish them well
Hope they’re healthy, happy and safe
Sequestered for this spell
Spend time with your family
And let them know they’re dear
Follow CDC’s instructions
And we’ll last another year.
We had a lovely story time at Books, Inc. in Palo Alto at the Town & Country Village (El Camino and Embarcadero Road) across from Stanford University March 8, 2020. My books are on their shelves and in good company, next to authors and titles like Tommy Paola ‘Fight the Night’, Jimmy Kimmel ‘Serious Goose’ , Christ Grabenstein ‘No More Naps’, and Colin Miloy ‘Everyone’s Awake’.
My next Story Time is scheduled for Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.
I’ll be at Books Inc. at 74 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, CA 94301 on Sunday 3/8/2020 at 11:00 reading my book Spring. Stop by and say “Hi”.
jeanninegerkman 