The scene, a large living room in a medium-sized city in the San Francisco Bay Area. One child, newly 15, occupies a long sofa. To his right, a sleeping greyhound. On the midcentury modern coffee table, a sleek and simple bit of teak, he works out problems in preparation for a math placement test. Across from him, sitting in a chair bought at a Manhattan flea market twenty years ago, a man in his mid-50s scrolls down his iPhone, a pile of math printouts for review on his lap. To his right, a greyhound melts from his dog bed onto the floor. Then there's me, female, still 50, occupying another piece of teak modernity, the armrests polished and round, pale kitty curled to my right.

The boy went fishing with a friend this morning (masks on!). My husband and I went for a walk that turned into a 4.5 mile hike. We are toned and lightly tanned. Four plus months in to this pandemic, I am in the best physical shape I’ve been for years, thanks to lots of walks, hikes, and Bodyfit by Amy workouts. There will be no in-person school for who knows how long. My husband will be working from home for a similar amount of time. And I have started to see select clients in person with lots of precautions, though I am pretty much giving away my services to 80% of my clients online or in person. There is so much need and many of the folks in need do not have sufficient (or any) income to pay psychotherapy fees out of pocket (and insurance coverage is another thing altogether). Once I hear their stories, I can’t justify charging full fee. This feels good on one level and suboptimal on another.

We are a privileged group. Our income is stable and covers our expenses. We have access to many things, including technology, healthy food, physical space, health insurance and lots of time. Still, I worry about the effects of this isolation on the boy. I am sad and scared for the world and for people that don’t have our privileges. I worry about the earth. I do what I can in my small form of redistribution. But who knows what life will be like four, six, twelve months from now?