March 13, 2021 was the 365th day of safer-at-home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Who could have imagined a year like we’ve had?
When it began in the U.S., we were all watching with horror as the death toll began to rise—first in Italy and then in New York City. Our mayor, following the science, made the choice to shut down for our safety.
My daughter came home from 4th grade for Spring Break and hasn’t been back inside her school since as we start the third quarter of 5th grade. My now nearly 89-year-old Mom had just come home from a stay in the hospital to treat a serious bout of anemia. My semi-retired husband became fully retired as the local performing arts magazine he was writing for ceased publication until they could hold performances again.
I had just launched my consulting firm in January and was completing a couple of projects while negotiating a 12-month contract with a new client. The new client was a local homeless shelter, and the work was about to get intense.
First, the fun. We set up a desk for my daughter in my loft office space so that she could ask me for help if she needed it, and I could keep an eye on her as she worked. Then we bought the headphones—for us both.
Now, the reality. We couldn’t have imagined last March that one year later things would look much the same, although with hope on the horizon as we start to get our vaccines.
We’ve just moved my daughter’s desk into her bedroom as I was tired of looking at that mess. She was doing her school work all over the house—and seldom at her desk anyway. My husband cooks and cleans. He reads. We all took up Duolingo this summer. He’s stuck with it and is at level 7,000-and-something in French. Anything to keep his mind engaged.
My Mom has a phone-call-cocktail-hour each night with her best friend. They’ve missed their weekly lunches out and their shopping. Her sister and brother-in-law outside Paris report their lockdowns, as does our friend in London—ensuring we don’t forget this is a global pandemic. Before winter we had socially-distanced visitors on our back deck, and are looking forward to those resuming once the weather warms again.
Our community has a mask ordinance in place, so we’ve ventured out some, but mainly have been home especially when cases began to rage in December. The occasional friend drops by a bottle of wine or other goodie. We delivered home-baked cookies and treats to friends’ porches over the holidays. I write birthday notes and other notes of encouragement to friends near and far. Sending a little love through the mail makes me feel closer to those I miss seeing in person.
Working for home during this pandemic has kept me sane—and much busier than I had anticipated. Growing my business, not so much. But, really, it’s been great. I essentially have a part-time job with one long-term client who keeps me busy with a myriad of communications challenges from creating communications plan(s) that includes donor relations, media relations and writing annual reports, among many other hands-on tasks.
So, what have I learned working from home during a pandemic? Here’s a simple fact: video meetings are helpful for touching base, phone calls are important for a more personal connection with clients and friends alike.
COVID vaccinations are hitting high-gear—our family is getting shots along with our community— which makes me look forward to seeing more people in person, if outside and at a distance for the next little while. We’ll see whether it changes my work in any substantial way. For now, it’s working from home with the whole family here to help!
About the Author
Heather Hope-Hernandez is the principal of H3 Consulting. A veteran communications professional, she is a native Tulsan and University of Oklahoma graduate. Heather worked for 12 years in Washington, D.C., and New York City as a political journalist—first as a print reporter covering the U.S. Congress and then covering national politics for an international cable news network.
Upon returning to Tulsa in late 2003, she spent the next three years as a senior staff member on national, state and local political campaigns before turning full-time to marketing communications. Heather has held senior communications positions at nonprofits, as well as served as public relations director for an advertising agency.
Heather enjoys volunteering her time and expertise. She is a past president of the Association for Women in Communications, Tulsa Professional Chapter, and a past AWC national board member. She is a former board member of the Tulsa Press Club, Community Service Council and the Child Care Resource Center’s Advisory Board. She is a past president of the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa. Previously, Heather was elected by her peers to serve on the board of governors of the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., and is also a former member of New York Women in Communications (NYWICI).
She lives with her husband, daughter and mother (retired AWC member) in a multigenerational household.
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