Unprecedented. Uncertain. Unknown.
These are portraits-in-place: a documentation of love, family and hope while we shelter-in-place.
“Settling into the new normal”
“Surreal”
“Lots of quality family time/ losing our minds 🤪“
“A bit crazy but overall surviving and doing just fine :)”
“Bringing a baby into the world during a global pandemic has been more than the typical adjustment of growing your family by another child. It’s been heartbreaking not to have family and friends around during what is supposed to be an exciting and happy time.”
“Enjoying my family”
Photographers: Jon Allegretto and Bethany Fritz
This is all so wonderful and strange at the same time. Simultaneous feelings of joy, loneliness, hope, sadness, laughter and tears. Quarantine was not a frequent word in our vocabulary and now it’s a daily practice. It has made us stockpile, trim our budgets, binge on Netflix. But it has also reminded us of our priorities, not to take our freedoms for granted, to value our friends and our families. Fresh air smells sweeter, outdoor walks are slower and more meditative. Maybe you’re baking, cooking something new, watching movies, working out, reading a good book, spending hours on Zoom calls… or maybe you’re one of those super bad ass parents juggling a home work schedule AND a home schooling schedule, all the while keeping your kids entertained and active, teetering on the edge of insanity but not quite falling into the abyss. Bravo! Know that you’re amazing, ALL of you. This is life. This is humanity. This is love. This is beauty. This is sheltering-in-place. This is 2020.
We suppressed the overwhelming urge to hug some of our favorite people. We came equipped with gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, but mostly we just kept our distance. Many of these photos were taken through windows and doors (even in the snow!), on porches, in yards, and a couple in parks. Although we stood 6-10 feet apart you warmed our hearts, you shared your stories, and we are better for it.
“After spending 6 weeks in Lurie’s NICU, we were released on 3/19 just as the stay at home orders were announced. Dave and I had stayed at Ronald McDonald house for those 6 weeks so it felt strange finally being home! We were so thankful to be able to be safe at home as the number of cases in Illinois started to rise. It has been challenging going from a form of isolation in the NICU due to visitor restrictions to home isolation with Joey unable to meet his family (besides his grandparents) and without having helpers come over as Dave & I adjust to life with a newborn. But I can’t help but be thankful that we are safe at home spending lots of one-on-one time with Joey. This will be a crazy story to tell him when he grows up. He is already so strong and brave!”
Her words: “My sanity is hanging on by a thread.” Â His words: “Shit show.”
“Stella has brought so much joy to this time. We aren’t doing anything but sitting home and enjoying her, getting to know her, being fully present with her. It is scary, stressful, exhausting, and messy (toddlers 🤦🏼‍♀️) – but the overwhelming feelings are joy and gratitude for the time we have together and with our new little girl!”
“Since we have a newborn, we haven’t felt too big of an impact as we would be home a lot anyway. It’s been tough having a toddler who is used to getting out a lot and being active. We miss our family and friends a lot but we have really enjoyed spending time together with our immediate family.”
“It has been lovely to be with family, but also incredibly hard. We appreciate that it is much easier for us than a lot of people. We are both working from home, which means learning new ways to do our jobs. The kids swing between delight, sadness, anger, and frustration. Being a teacher I have found tackling learning at home so overwhelming. Finn has declared that the virus has ruined his dreams — mainly being able to go to the park and grocery store. Violet turns 7 on Monday and has been mourning the loss of a party. We’re mainly ok and also not sometimes.”
“It’s all of the things all at once. We’re grateful to be safe and that our jobs allow us to work from home. We’re enjoying the extra family time and getting to see Lucy grow everyday. We know how lucky we are and feel so fortunate for so many reasons. We love seeing the good that’s happening in the world amid this crisis. But it’s also stressful and hard. We want to help. We want to juggle it all. We want to do it all with grace. But it’s hard. Taking it one moment and emotion at a time.”
“It’s been busy and stressful work-wise, but we love our cozy home and life with each other and our pupper Maggie. Steve’s been cooking a lot, which he enjoys and I love. Walking the dog is a good way to clear the head. All of that helps combat the negative effect of what is really a depressing and scary time. All in all, we are feeling lucky to have each other and jobs and that everyone in our world has been in generally good health.”
“My husband and I both work in the ER so have been working a lot and are emotionally drained. Our kids just went to grandma and grandpas for a few days so that we could reset and sleep :)”
Let’s shine some light and color on our days. This is a time to remember and cherish, the ups and downs, the rainy days and the sunny days. Kindness in quarantine, love each other.
Be safe. Be well. Be happy.