Right now, if you were to ask me to summarize how it has been for me during the COVID-19 pandemic in a single word, without question it would be “exhausting.” I am sure that many others would answer the same.

I don’t know anyone personally who has gotten sick from COVID-19, I haven’t been on the front lines working to save lives, and I haven’t suffered like so many have. This realization is always with me.

I have been lucky in that I continued to work and was given an immense privilege and responsibility to report through our news organization to the people of Maine.

While I take on the challenge to document the news, I also realize that in this time we need to document our own lives, from our individual points of view.

For my family, it has been a roller coaster ride of joys and dismay, ups and downs. My family has had moments of togetherness that have escaped us over the last several years, making it almost feel like a new beginning. These moments I cherish because I know that they will not last. We have also experienced times of frustration and impatience. I want to remember those times as well. I have had days where the list of my emotions has outnumbered my grocery list, leaving me empty. I sleep deeply those nights, but I am not well rested in the morning. I miss people, but at the same time, I enjoy the emptiness on the streets and in the parks.

At a time when we are secluded from one another physically and in many ways emotionally, I think it is important to connect in as many ways as we can. I hope that sharing moments from my life brings something to yours.