Friday the 13th - My lucky day!

Similar to the plot of the 1980’s movie, Friday the 13th, we are currently living in an environment where we are stalked and killed by an unknown assailant. Yet in this very real-life plot, our set takes place beyond a summer camp. Our Jason Voorhees character, COVID-19, aims to take revenge on the entire world. 

If you are interested in mythology like me, you are aware that the number 13 has been considered unlucky for ages. Growing up, I was raised by a catholic grandmother, Ruth, who taught me her love for entertaining. When Ruth had guests over, she would never seat 13 people while dining as she believed that it was the ultimate bad luck. Grandma’s superstition came from her understanding of Jesus’ Last Supper. There were 13 guests, Jesus, and his 12 apostles then on the day after that dinner (also a Friday), Jesus was betrayed and crucified.

Friday the 13th, March 2020, I chose to reclaim as a lucky day!

Friday the 13th, March 2020, I chose to reclaim as a lucky day. This was the day I entered self-isolation with my family, feeling lucky to be healthy and alive when sadly to this date, approximately 165,000 souls world-wide have been victims of COVID-19.

The day began at my office in New York City, meeting with my VP of Sales, Philip. At the end of our meeting, Philip turned to me calmly and said “Andre, do you take your laptop home?... If not, you should tonight. Take care of your family”. At this point in time, our organization had already given our New York and New Jersey based employees the option to work from home. Philip expressed kindness and his full support to what at the time was only a guideline. If you are lucky enough to be able to work remotely and practice social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, consider yourself blessed. 

As corny as it may sound, I am so thankful and proud to be working for an organization that sees it’s employees as its backbone and cares greatly for our well being. In this unimaginable crisis, the company I work for is part of a solution, providing comfort and leadership through strong communication briefings as dealing with COVID-19 does not come with an instruction manual. I am thankful for my organization's agility during this crisis while preserving certain business processes and structures to ensure we all stay focused. Having access to technology allows me to adapt to new ways of working while still being able to keep in contact with teammates which always gives me a great sense of emotional well-being. 

The bottom line is, I am lucky to be able to practice social distancing, work remotely, live in a comfortable apartment, have access to health care, access to a regular paycheck, order food online, and most of all, remain physically and emotionally healthy while there are many struggles during this social and economical shutdown.

Across the United States, many see the nation-wide shutdown similar to the 20’s Prohibition Era. In some parts of the county, workers are protesting for the country to be reopened so everyone can get back to work. This is what prompted me to write this article. As critical as I want to be of these folks, now is the time where our luck and gratitude for what we have could perhaps also evolve into compassion and empathy towards others, that may be struggling and in need of human kindness. 

Some are calling COVID-19 “the great equalizer”

The working class on a global scale have been hit the hardest by this pandemic. People are simply trying to survive and have their basic needs met such as rent, food, bills, safety, and healthcare. Some are calling COVID-19 “the great equalizer,” suggesting that it does not matter how rich one is, how famous one is, or where one lives, the virus does not discriminate. However, certain communities are being hit harder than others and supporting these communities will benefit everyone as we plan to safely reopen our country.  

In New York City, city data shows how the pandemic has devastated lower-income areas where social distancing guidelines have been difficult to implement. 

Updated: April 18, 2:00 p.m.

Mothers, fathers, teachers, students, doctors, nurses, actors, singers and everyone else are in this together with their own specific role to play in the fight against coronavirus. Around the world, people are using their skills to help their own communities while others are trying to cope with their new realities. 

Mothers, fathers, teachers, students, doctors, nurses, actors, singers and everyone else are in this together

Meet my sister Ana, working 12-hour shifts at her local hospital in Brazil. Ana also has two daughters she takes care of while also funding her husband’s current care at an opioid rehab institution. 

Meet KP, an ICU nurse in New York City who is on the front-lines of the pandemic but feels he is the last resort as his face is the last face most of his patients may see. Read KP’s heartbreaking story and struggle to attain proper personal protective equipment on his Instagram, @ayykaypee. 

Meet my son, Nicholas, a 19-year-old student at Northwestern University. Nicholas works part-time to help pay for his school. “Hey Dad, how do I apply for unemployment?”. Nicholas, like all other college students in the USA, is studying remotely and is currently unemployed. 

Meet my 2-year old niece, Luisa who just went through the struggles of being potty trained. Now my brother and sister in-law have to add mask training to her daily routine and try to explain why she needs to wear a mask if they leave the house or why she can't see grandma. 

Meet Tyler and Charlene, two nightlife drag performers. Suddenly they saw their source of income ravaged and without any hesitation, took their show live on social media from their Brooklyn rooftop. Tips were welcomed via Venmo and the two became my new symbols of optimism and agility trying to navigate this new normal. Seeing them take their “virtual stage” brought tears of joy into my eyes. 

Meet Anezia, a 77-year-old family friend and frankly a second mother to me. She is working into the wee hours of the morning sewing masks to help others in her community. 

Meet Parker Young, an actor making efforts to host virtual hangouts for charity where he engages in heartfelt conversations with those looking to have a voice and something to participate in. For some people, the weekly chats have been the only meaningful interaction they’ve had all week. 

Meet Fatima, a teacher and single mother of two. Fatima’s appeal to reopen the Brazilian economy went viral and now Fatima has become the face of social distancing opposition in Brazil. Fatima receives several death threats daily for simply stating that “I don’t want the government hand-out, I just want to work to support my girls”.  

Meet John Dore, my office's Workplace and Collaboration Manager. Essentially overnight, John went from “the IT guy” to an optimistic, problem solving partner who has been essential in helping us stay connected while creating solutions for the future. 

Meet Craig, actor, performer and also, my husband. In a healthy economy, working “In the Business” already comes with more than enough financial uncertainty. During the pandemic, the entertainment industry, actors, in particular, are paying a high price financially and creatively. Currently, Craig is working on carving his own space on this new virtual-tainment stage. He plans to host the second virtual edition of his Executive Order show this Friday, April 24th.  

As mentioned, I have reclaimed Friday the 13th to be celebrated as a lucky day to me! 

Meet Claire, my youngest daughter. In order to help contain the spread of the virus, on March 11, 2020, President Trump announced travel restrictions from most European countries. The confusing communication regarding the restrictions left many panicked and confused, rushing to return home. We quickly gathered everyone in the family to try and help find Claire a ticket back home to the U.S from her study abroad program in Spain. After trying to secure flights for two days, we decided that it was too risky having her wait as she could end up stuck by herself in Spain indefinitely. We changed our strategy and got her on the next flight out to stay with our family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

This picture of her was taken Friday the 13th, March 2020. On that day, she landed safe and sound in Sao Paulo after enduring those 48 hours of massive uncertainty. This situation was a reality and nightmare for many parents that week. I'm so lucky and blessed to have such a wonderful family that did not hesitate to put themselves at risk, embracing Claire into their homes. To date, a majority of Claire's friends from her study abroad program have become infected with the virus. It has been five weeks now since she left Spain and thankfully, she remains healthy, or at least asymptomatic. Claire was originally scheduled to study abroad in Shanghai, China. But that is another story!

In the end, no matter who you are and what circumstances you are facing, these are challenging times for us all. Social distancing will come with job loss, economic insecurity, and experiences of stress and an array of emotions.

Those of us who are able to exercise social distancing and keep parts of America open working from home are lucky! We all play a part in this and this crisis will be over however while in the midst of it, let's remind ourselves that we have the opportunity to have empathy, compassion and kindness towards one another.

Be optimistic, count your blessings, express gratitude and stay safe!