This week, I waxed my own eyebrows. I did NOT do a very good job. They are sort of thin, sort of thick, sort of just plain wonky. But I did it. I tamed them into a weird submission. I did them because they needed it and on a normal day, in a normal year, in a normal life, I would have gone and gotten them done by my favorite waxer. Alicia is amazing. She is quick, funny and just an amazing person. I really like her. So much, in fact, when our state was starting to close down in March, I ran to her to get my waxing done. I was so hopeful that by the time I needed it again, we’d have gotten rid of COVID-19 through staying home, wearing masks and washing hands.

Imagine my surprise when we couldn’t even manage to wash our hands or wear a mask to help others.

My eyebrows, and let’s face it, mustache, and beard started growing in nicely. Thicker and thicker with every week that we had to stay locked away. Thicker and thicker as people were mocking our stay at home order. Thicker and thicker as people were laughing at this “flu”. Thicker and thicker as there was a presidentially-approved kidnapping plot against our governor over being locked down. Thicker and thicker.

This week, while cases are soaring, it became time to just wax it myself. So, I did. Was it a pain? Well, yeah. And again, did I do a good job? NOPE. But it is done and in 4 weeks, I’ll do it again. I’ll do it again because I have to stay at home. I don’t have the luxury of being able to laugh in the face of this virus. See, with his many medical issues, if Hank gets a cold, he loses a ton of weight – which is hard since we wrestled with failure to thrive for so long. If Hank gets the flu, we have to worry about how long it will last and whether or not he’ll have complications that will cost him his life. COVID-19, even for those who survive it, leaves lasting medical injury.

COVID-19 can kill one of my babies.

I saw, last night a troll on a friend’s Facebook laughing and mocking her because the father of her children has COVID-19. I removed a friend who ranted that people were putting more concern on COVID than other issues and she was sick of it. I see people on my community Facebook page angry because a restaurant had to be closed due to employees getting this virus – not that people aren’t staying home, but because they couldn’t go out to eat.

I don’t know how much longer we have until we can get over this virus, but I am hopeful that 2021 is our year. I am hopeful that under a new administration, we can, as a country, bring back science – therefore protecting all of us, even ones who laugh at those of us with wonky eyebrows.