Our Lives at This Time

by Angel Juan

Listening to the news every day, it dawned on me that this pandemic was not going away any time soon. As we all know, that certainly is the case, we are now in the fifth month of a very unsettling time. And only God knows when life will return to a more normal routine.

I hear people’s frustration over losing their jobs and being cooped up in their homes. But for me, I saw the time as an opportunity to have some much needed rest after working two jobs, seven days a week, week after week for eight years.

As a single mother, I thank God every day that I still have my full-time job as a bookkeeper at Eastern Christian School in North Haldon. I am now working remotely from home.

I also have a part time job working here at Our Lady of Mercy. I work on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 1:30 pm in the parish office. If you have come by the parish office at those times, you have seen me at the desk. I love working here because of the wonderful people I meet!

I am particularly grateful to God that this time has given me the opportunity to reconnect with my son, Adrian, who is 24 years old. My son is a pastry chef at Freetown Road Project, a restaurant in downtown Jersey City. Before this pandemic, we hardly saw each other. I would usually be up and out of the house by 7 am and Adrian would come home around midnight. We got so involved with our jobs that we lost touch with each other.

Now, we have dinner together every night and we sit and watch TV together. Thankfully, we like the same programs! We also try to touch base with God by praying together before going to bed.

It warms my heart to see us connecting again. When the situation goes back to normal, we will make sure we don’t get so wrapped up in our jobs that we lose sight of one another.