Deb Flora: Baking Bread, Being Bright, Breaking Routine

Mahoning County Land Bank Director Deb Flora is hanging tough. You can read more about the Land Bank at its website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?

We closed our office to visitors on March 16 and have encouraged clients to work with us via phone, email and social media. As colleagues, we have respected each other’s personal space to a higher degree. We’ve stepped up our cleaning routine. We became very conscious about how each trip in and out of the office — as simple as arriving at and leaving work — may affect our team.

How about your personal life?

My 14-year-old son talks daily with his friends through social media, but he misses being with them at and outside of school. His baseball season is on hold. Our gym membership at Jewish Community Center has been frozen during the pandemic. We can’t attend Sunday Mass. My husband and I stay in touch with family and friends through phone calls, texts and Facebook. We are neither panicked nor feeling hopeless, but these sudden changes in our daily lives have been challenging. 

What steps are you taking to hang tough? 

I already was in a reflective mood before we were affected by the pandemic. In the last three months, I’ve lost my father and my mother-in-law. I have more time free time right now, but I’m looking for meaning in what I’m doing. I’ve lamented that I haven’t had time to bake bread — something I first did with my maternal grandmother, and later with my mother-in-law. Over the weekend, I made it happen. It was wonderful, because I felt more connected to my heavenly family while doing something for my family at home. I like my old-school to-do list and crossing off completed tasks, but I’ve challenged myself to review and prioritize the list.

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

We must develop new routines to stay safe and healthy, but make room to disrupt your daily routine with a new recipe, book, online activity, etc. We need to be the light of the world by helping others. While you are at it, be bright in the world! Wear something bright each day as a reminder that Spring arrived, despite coronavirus. Vivid colors can lift our moods in the days ahead.