We are not meant to live in isolation. What makes us healthy and whole are the connections we form with one another.  With our families. Our friends. Our colleagues and our community…  The thing we need the most to feel healthy has become harder to get.

After more than 30 years in the field of social work, I know one thing to be true. We do not need to be victims to our situation. We have choices to make, each and every day about how we want to live our lives. How we choose to show up for ourselves and each other.

One of the hardest things about this time for me has been the loss of travel, the opportunity to explore. If you know me, you know I love to travel. Give me a passport and a seat on a plane or in a car and I’m on my way, ready for what comes next. I thought it might be fun to travel, however virtually, around the US and yes, even abroad, to visit with people and hear how they’re doing during this difficult time. Over the next few weeks I’d like to bring you a glimpse of what life is like for our friends and neighbors in other places.

Today we meet Glenn who lives in São Paulo, Brazil.

Welcome Glenn. What are things like in your neck of the woods? Give us a picture of what life is like where you are. My wife, Denise (54), my daughter, Julia (19), and I live in a very calm and small neighborhood in São Paulo, Brazil. This is a privilege, in a city inhabited by more than 12 million people. It seems like a gated community, without actually being one, because, in normal times, children can ride their bikes and play soccer on the streets, and It is very pleasant to walk, due to the few cars crossing It and the number of green squares, with lots of birds. 

In my neighborhood people are just going out to shop for groceries and short walks (a few). People have in mind the importance of staying home and social distancing. But this has not been a reality in other parts of the city, particularly in underprivileged neighborhoods, due to difficulties in terms of housing conditions (slums) and their consequences (poor sanitation, water supply, sewage system), poor public transport conditions, and homelessness; lack of financial reserve (when they are not entitled to the emergency allowance paid by the government, they have to do something to earn a living). Our president, Jair Bolsonaro, has not been a good example on the media, either. He is daily shown on TV shaking hands with his political supporters and underestimating the gravity of the pandemic, always suggesting that the quarantine could be lift soon for the sake of the country's economy.

How have you been affected by the pandemic personally?  I had already been working in a home office regime for four years. I am a translator. My routine changed a bit because I used to go out  for lunch, and walk a bit . Nowadays, with restaurants closed (although delivering food) and my wife (working from home) and my daughter having classes online, we have all meals together (that's been nice!).

I entered University another time at the beginning of the year, to study literature. I had just begun having classroom classes. Then classes were suspended. Some of the teachers continued to give classes online, while others simply recommended loads of materials for us to read. Nobody knows yet how classes will be replaced. Probably our 1st term will last until late September.

Has it affected your work?  Now I have house chores to do I wasn't used to doing before the pandemic, like doing the dishes, cleaning the bathrooms, washing clothes. We normally have two maids who do those tasks. We told them to stay in their homes, receiving their full salaries. 

 How has it affected your home life?  This is the good part. By having to stay at home, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, we have been learning to be more tolerant and less strict, respecting the other's limits. We are also having the chance to talk more and know more about each other! There is always something you don't know about your wife and daughter.

Do you have friends who have been infected by the virus?  Yes, I do. One former schoolmate. Fortunately, she is ok now!

What has been the hardest thing for you to deal with? The hardest thing for me has been not being able to visit my mom, Joan (she lives with an older brother, Paul). I am a tennis player, so I miss the courts a lot, too! Going out every now and then,  to restaurants, to the movies and to theater is also something I miss tremendously!

What have you appreciated during this period? The opportunity to reflect about life. About what really is essential in your life. The true friendship.

What are you doing to keep yourself emotionally healthy during this time?  What activities/practices have you been engaging in? I have been meditating early in the mornings (I am an early bird); reading novels (Grande Sertão Veredas, by João Guimarães Rosa); listening to classical music late at night, in the dark; walking in the neighborhood; talking with, and supporting, friends on Whatsapp; enjoying the sunsets; playing with my dog (Lucky, she loves fetching a tennis ball); suntanning, drinking wine and eating delicious food (my wife and daughter cook very well... that's why I do the dishes...)!

Do you have any recommendations for others reading this? These days are hard ones, but take advantage of them. Spend your time on things that will nourish you mind and soul. If you can, help someone in need. This does not have to be a material help. Just listening to people, or showing you care about them can make their day. And every day is important today!

Thanks for joining us and sharing your experience, Glenn.

Let’s broaden the conversation, shall we? Would you like to be featured in our guest interview posts? We want to hear from you! Email me at suzanne@suzannemaggio.com.