Bit by bit, our lives are being chipped away in ways that we have to believe make sense, and are for the greater good. It took me a while to realize that all of our lives will be touched by this time, all of us will feel it in one way or another, and for a good long time.

In our little town, the schools shut down for five weeks, I shudder to think about what a burden that will be for working parents.

In New York City, Emma told Robin that all of the movie theaters were closed for a while, something Robin could barely comprehend. Emma loves movies, and so does Robin.

We went out to a pop-up restaurant in Saratoga tonight, we had the restaurant to ourselves. France shut down all of its restaurants and cafes today.

I loved this photo Emma sent me of Robin, from a park in Brooklyn, the magnificent New York skyline rushing up towards the sun. What does Robin make of this? What has she been told?

Her school is shut down for three weeks, and she will have to learn to amuse herself. Both of her parents work.

I sent her a bunch of carefully chosen comic books which arrived today, these are the first ones she has ever gotten. I used to bring Emma boxes of Archie comics, that’s how she learned to love reading by herself when she was four.

I hope Emma doesn’t read them to Robin but lets her discover them by herself. I could change the way Robin thinks and sleeps. She will put the images and words together. Over these next few weeks, she might just need some comic books.

Comics changed Emma. I know better than to give Emma advice about raising her kids, with comic books, I almost lapsed.

Looking at this photo, I’m grateful that Robin is being raised in New York City, a city I lived in three or four times, a city I love very much.

New York is different now, of course. But the city still has a grand sweep and a larger than life feeling about it, Robin can grow and grow there as much as she wants. There are no boundaries in New York unless you are broken, and even then, fewer than most places.

I don’t wish to live there now, but it’s great that Robin will grow up there, the city can offer children so much.

It feels in a magical way as if the world is grinding to a halt, there is a great quieting of things, almost in slow motion. I feel like a flashing red light is everywhere, stopping me and challenging me to remember what is happening.

One day, the lights will be green again. It will be exciting to watch the world turn its lights on.

(Photo by Emma Span)