Families Under Lockdown

We are now in the middle of Israel’s 3rd lockdown, which means my kids are home more or less all day, every day. By 9 PM tonight my little kids were yelling at one another again with shrill indignation, and I’d had it.
I turned to my oldest, “Hadas, could you pleeease deal with them? I can’t anymore.”
Hadas, the psychology student, somehow made peace and came back to me a few minutes later: “My diagnosis is…those kids have been spending way too much time together!”
“Cabin fever,” I said.
“Covid fever,” she corrected. We laughed, but for just a moment until we understood Covid fever was no laughing matter. May Hashem protect us and everyone…
Which reminded me that earlier today my 10-year-old Tsofia found out her best friend and her father tested positive for Covid.
Tsofia called her friend, and then I took the phone to ask how she’s feeling.
“I’m feeling totally fine,” the girl said.
“And how’s your father feeling?”
“I don’t know…Abba, how are you feeling?”
His response? “Positive.”