Hundreds take part in the early March conference filled with educational programs and connecting with other members

What was your... COVID-19 experience?

In this regular feature of the Bulletin magazine, we check in with several BBA members about a topic that all of us can relate to. With the coronavirus pandemic causing everyone across the globe to make radical shifts in the way they live and work, we wanted to hear how our members have coped with this devastating health care and financial crisis. We hope that what they have to share will help you stay positive and might even spark a smile.

Steven Corhern

OUTDOOR TIME WITH FAMILY

While working from home was tough, it allowed me to spend more time outside with my family. We enjoyed walking around our neighborhood and along the creek behind the Library in the Forest. Our dog Riley really enjoyed us being at home, too.

Andrea Neeley

QUARANTINING WITH MY SON

During the quarantine, I sheltered in place, hand sanitized and tried not to eat everything in sight with my 13-yearold son, Joshua. Nearly daily prayer and occasional exercise was also a part of our lives. This photo is us on a “suicide mission” or what other, more fit moms would call a bike ride around our neighborhood. Josh and I are a great quarantine fit because of our differences: I’m an early riser, but he likes to sleep in, so I get my much-needed quiet time in the a.m.; he’s a binge watcher, but not me, so my Netflix nanny was worth every dime during this time ... judge me — at least you have the credentials. I cannot imagine being asked to stay home with a better person. He’s a silly, sulky, slovenly, male teenage version of me ... it’s awesome! I am certain we will flatten the curve and get healed soon.

George Gaskin

VICTORY OVER THE VIRUS

I treated the first couple weeks of social isolation like I treat a snow forecast: by stocking up on Cheetos, Doritos and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Fortunately, I soon realized that this would be a marathon, not a sprint, so I needed to establish some routines to stay mentally healthy. Most helpful for me was getting outside as much as possible, which was easy to do with the beautiful weather we had during the pandemic. My favorite running race, the Statue to Statue, was canceled, but I ran the course anyway, and my wife and daughter met me at the finish line with a handmade medal. It was my small way to triumph over the virus.

Rebecca Wright

TACKLING THE CHALLENGES AND EXERCISING COMPASSION

This unexpected season of quarantine brought on challenges, yet provided the opportunity to learn new things (who started 2020 thinking they were going to do a virtual mediation or set up weekly practice group calls via Zoom?!). Despite the new challenges we all might have faced at work, I was able to spend more time working on projects around the home, engage in “virtual” facetime with friends and family, explore new walking and hiking trails with my dog and practice yoga at home. Even in this pandemic situation where we seemingly had no control over when things might get back to our own version of “normal,” I reminded myself that I still have control over my ability to generate compassion for those around me or who I may come in contact with — whether that’s from my virtual office or home.

Brandon Prince

ENJOYING FATHERHOOD

My wife and I have a newborn baby, so learning to balance work and family during the stayat-home period was especially important for me. I took on more of the caregiving role for our 2-yearold while my wife cared for the newborn. We were very excited to have our daughter home healthy and safe. But the virus added a new and unexpected layer of stress. This was not an ideal time for having a new baby in the house, but we adapted, and I found that I enjoyed the time at home with my family. Work and family life essentially merged into one. The whole day, including late into the night, were eligible working hours. I worked whenever there was time: i.e., during nap time, bedtime or whenever Elmo was on. I got a lot done at night, and I was daddy daycare the other waking hours. It was exhausting and wonderful all at the same time. Getting back to some version of normal was inevitable, but for the time, I enjoyed taking a step back from the rat race and was thankful that I had the privilege to do so.

Jim Lloyd

LOOKING AHEAD AND LIVING LIFE FORWARD

Throughout our shelter in place, my wife Nancy and I tried to take an online yoga class and take a brisk walk every day. Because we live in the heart of wine country in Sonoma County, wine has become a central part of our lives, so we had virtual wine tastings with friends via Zoom or FaceTime several times a week. I am also active in the community by participating on the board of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, and I worked on helping guide California’s newest AVA through this unprecedented event. Our son, daughter and grandchildren, though all less than an hour drive away, also got regular FaceTimes from “Nanny” and “Papa.” And of course, thank goodness for Netflix, Amazon Prime and the National Theatre Live! Cheers!