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Defining Family in the Time of Coronavirus
Today’s families rarely look like the nuclear families of the past, and it’s hurtful to keep defining them that way
There are so many things to be paying attention to and concerned about during the coronavirus pandemic. We are facing something we have never experienced before, with huge health impacts that are sure to get worse and economic ramifications that will last for a long time, with no end in sight.
And we are seeing some ugly sides of human nature play out, from panic buying to racist attacks on Chinese people as our president insists on framing the pandemic as the “Chinese virus” and “foreign virus.”
As disturbing as those are — and they are disturbing — I am also seeing some other disturbingly narrow-minded thinking, especially when it comes to defining “family.”
I was lucky to be out in nature this weekend before Marin County shut down its parks, beaches and open spaces because of crowds. A group of five young women were attempting to take a selfie — 6 feet apart, aka socially distancing, as California and other states have been encouraging or requiring residents to follow.
I offered to take a photo of them and they took me up on it. When they returned to their blanket, no longer 6…
