Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

where it’s more or less quiet …if you ignore the vigorous smacking …and the sound of the toaster …and the non-stop rubbing of feet against the base of the chair.</p><p id="4b41">I check my list of planned posts. I open a draft and read what’s there so far. I glance at a reference article I have open.</p><p id="e341"><i>Ok, time to get some work done!</i></p><p id="f4b3" type="7">Mama?</p><p id="eef0">¡#%@†!</p><p id="a9cc">[…]</p><p id="3a5d"><i>Yes, honey…</i></p><p id="5c8d" type="7">Water!</p><p id="eebc"><b><i>Holy Mary, Mother of God,</i></b><i> I need your guidance!</i></p><p id="0f5f">I call my mother.</p><p id="0e1e"><i>Mom, I’m freaking out! I don’t think I can do this. How did <b>you</b> do it?</i></p><p id="976e">Mother tells me motherhood is the greatest gift. Mother says, “while your child’s a child you have to put your own needs last”.</p><p id="165a">I feel my blood boiling. I want to tell her she’s a fool and that she can’t possibly relate. She never did this on her own, she never did it trying to fend for herself as a freelancer, during a global pandemic.</p><p id="d83c">But I stop myself.</p><p id="0494"><i>Oh, mother, I know… Thank you for listening!</i></p><p id="302d">My sanity hangs heavy from a frail string, worn thinner every second, wedged under Ella’s chair, which goes “squeek-squeek-squeek” across the floor.</p><p id="5575"><i>My love, it’s really important that mama gets some work done right now. Can you please sit still?</i></p><p id="af9c" type="7">Mama!</p><p id="dedc"><i>What???</i></p><p id="894a" type="7">Love is more important than anything.</p><p id="2bf0"><i>Indeed, it is. But right now work is important too…</i></p><p id="c24f" type="7">That’s why I like you and you like me. That’s why we have a heart.</p><p id="90d0"><i>This is true.</i></p><p id="d9b3" type="7">Love is the truth!</p><p id="25a2"><i>That’s a beautiful thing to say and you’re absolutely right! Where is this coming from, though?</i></p><p id="434a" type="7">Not from my iPad. (…) It’s coming from my heart!</p><p id="b5af"><i>Ok, kiddo, you win!</i></p><p id="5a44"><i>And, you’re right. Love — even though it’s severely tampering with my productivity right now — is more important than anything.</i></p><p id="5441"><i>Hand me a Nutella toast and let’s play some cards.</i></p><figure id="533a"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*LB2Tq6bb0JnudJoII6y0Hw.png"><figcaptio

Options

n></figcaption></figure><p id="7624"><i>Currently shacked up with her (soon) five-year-old daughter, Ella, and her boyfriend of ten months, Jay, Ena Dahl reports regularly from their day-to-day lives in self-quarantine on the South East side of Berlin.</i></p><p id="8614"><i>The Corona Chronicles will feature a collection of updates, poems, ponderings, short articles, and other literary pieces from these times while all three of them share a home for the first time.</i></p><div id="7a99" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/everythings-gonna-be-alright-just-don-t-take-my-word-for-it-eb1aeb92a9ce"> <div> <div> <h2>Everything’s Gonna Be Alright! Just Don’t Take My Word for It.</h2> <div><h3>Positivity is my coping mechanism—And love is all I have to give.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*vn5e0TSrdeWkD_hMj8ZsqQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="f0b6" class="link-block"> <a href="https://psiloveyou.xyz/contemplating-mortality-with-my-four-year-old-d6c620d42e1b"> <div> <div> <h2>Contemplating Mortality With my Four Year Old</h2> <div><h3>What happens to us when we die, Mama?</h3></div> <div><p>psiloveyou.xyz</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*GNQF3ZBciEVJ6ruUeHdhww.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="ecfc" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/so-i-shacked-up-with-my-boyfriend-for-the-coronapocalypse-234b99d40ccc"> <div> <div> <h2>So, I Shacked up With My Boyfriend for the Coronapocalypse…</h2> <div><h3>Five days into quarantine, we’re staying sane and counting our blessings</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*JRs-V2oMJP3HypQDi75T9g.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

The Corona Chronicles

Children and Fools Tell the Truth

The truth about parenting, productivity, and love during the lockdown

Shut it inspirational quote, I‘m doing all that I can! Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash which gives a completely unrealistic picture of what working from home looks like—especially with child(ren).

Holy Mother! If I hear the word ‘mama’ one more time I might just mother-f**king implode.

Mama!

Yes, honey.

Maaamaaa!!!

Yessss!!!

MAAAAAAMMMAAAAAA!!!

Mother of Christ! Take off your goddamn headphones… [I swear, she didn’t hear that—she was wearing headphones]

I said YES!

Mama…

Yes…

I’m hungry.

Again? We just ate.

HUNGRY!!!

That’s not how you ask.

Pleeeeeeease?

Full-sentence!

[Ella cocks her head to the side and bats her eyelashes]

Can I pleeeeeease???

Can you please what?

Can I pleeeeeease have some food???

Fine! What do you want?

Chocolate?

Chocolate’s not food. How about I chop you some veggies?

Chocolate rice waffles?

Also not food. Pasta with pesto?

Toast with Nutella!

Ok, I give up. Here’s a piece of toast.

[F**k it!] Here’s the bag, and the whole darn Nutella jar.

Don’t stick your butter knife in the toaster!

Now, please give me thirty minutes to write in peace, pleeeease?!?

And, what do you say?

Thank you, mama!

Five minutes pass, where it’s more or less quiet …if you ignore the vigorous smacking …and the sound of the toaster …and the non-stop rubbing of feet against the base of the chair.

I check my list of planned posts. I open a draft and read what’s there so far. I glance at a reference article I have open.

Ok, time to get some work done!

Mama?

¡#%@†!

[…]

Yes, honey…

Water!

Holy Mary, Mother of God, I need your guidance!

I call my mother.

Mom, I’m freaking out! I don’t think I can do this. How did you do it?

Mother tells me motherhood is the greatest gift. Mother says, “while your child’s a child you have to put your own needs last”.

I feel my blood boiling. I want to tell her she’s a fool and that she can’t possibly relate. She never did this on her own, she never did it trying to fend for herself as a freelancer, during a global pandemic.

But I stop myself.

Oh, mother, I know… Thank you for listening!

My sanity hangs heavy from a frail string, worn thinner every second, wedged under Ella’s chair, which goes “squeek-squeek-squeek” across the floor.

My love, it’s really important that mama gets some work done right now. Can you please sit still?

Mama!

What???

Love is more important than anything.

Indeed, it is. But right now work is important too…

That’s why I like you and you like me. That’s why we have a heart.

This is true.

Love is the truth!

That’s a beautiful thing to say and you’re absolutely right! Where is this coming from, though?

Not from my iPad. (…) It’s coming from my heart!

Ok, kiddo, you win!

And, you’re right. Love — even though it’s severely tampering with my productivity right now — is more important than anything.

Hand me a Nutella toast and let’s play some cards.

Currently shacked up with her (soon) five-year-old daughter, Ella, and her boyfriend of ten months, Jay, Ena Dahl reports regularly from their day-to-day lives in self-quarantine on the South East side of Berlin.

The Corona Chronicles will feature a collection of updates, poems, ponderings, short articles, and other literary pieces from these times while all three of them share a home for the first time.