Photo by Mirelle Inglefield
By Madison Rutherford | PHOENIX Magazine
Call them what you will – silver linings, breaks in the clouds, bright sides. But COVID-19 gives us things as it takes others away. Details we never noticed. Hard truths revealed. Stress-dampening amusements we never would have tasted, drank or watched otherwise. Across our shared journey, the virus also teaches us much about our communities, ourselves and the world at large. Here, eight Valley residents reflect on their respective pandemic lessons, from the whimsical to the profound, each one a small but significant port in a mighty global storm.
ESTHER SCHATZ, RETIREE
Esther Schatz’s days were filled with canasta games with friends, family parties and her Lifelong Learning Club meetings. “Then the pandemic reared its ugly head,” the Goodyear resident says. “Life changed.” Schatz discovered Zoom, on which she celebrated her 80th birthday, participated in lectures, read books to her grandchildren and, sadly, even attended the funeral of a dear friend. Once a week, she puts two leaves in her dining room table and she and her husband, Carl, order takeout and have a socially distanced dinner with friends. On a recent morning, Schatz got her first professional haircut after trimming her ’do at home for months. Many of her friends have stopped dyeing their hair, which led her to the realization that ivory-hued locks are beautiful and should be embraced. “White is kind of pretty,” she muses. What does she miss the most about her pre-pandemic routine? “The face-to-face, hugs, just hanging out,” she says. “No Wii bowling and dinner afterward, no theater, concerts, film festivals.” Despite her positive perspectives on natural hair and navigating Zoom, Schatz says she is frightened for the future. “I pray that this will change,” she says.
