Karin Kawamoto narrowly beat the clock.

On March 8, the semi-retired musical theater performer held Karin’s Birthday Follies, her annual fundraiser and birthday fete, at a large performance space in midtown Manhattan. There were 30 acts and 70 guests, give or take. The theme was “milestones and memories”; 2020 marks Kawamoto’s 30th year in New York. There was singing and dancing, music and comedy.

Among her circle of New Yorkers, “everybody calls it the last party,” Kawamoto says.

Less than two weeks later, coronavirus cases surged, the city shut down, and Kawamoto, 54, who lives alone and is somewhat high-risk, went into self-quarantine. She has largely been keeping to herself ever since.

The postcards are a bright spot.

Once a week — sometimes more often — a card arrives from her friend Emily Learnard, whom she met at a tiny karaoke bar in SoHo. Learnard has been sending postcards without fail since March. The notes, laminated with packing tape, are left at Kawamoto’s door (her building doesn’t use mailboxes), and she’s always delighted to find one. 

Some of the postcards are handmade; others are found. At least one is composed of a funny newspaper correction reprinted in the New Yorker (the East Bay Express had misquoted a school principal: she said “we’re all running a school district as leanly as we can,” not “we’re all running a school district as lamely as we can”).

Each postcard — every piece of personal written correspondence, really — has unique value, Kawamoto, a user experience designer and strategist, says. They mean someone took the time and effort to “physically enact the notion of care.”

As we prepare to enter the ninth month of the pandemic and the necessary rigors of social distancing, the passage of time feels disorienting and distance can feel vast. Physical reminders of the ties that bind help anchor us in place. Kawamoto offered us glimpses of her written correspondence with Learnard below. While paper is no replacement for the embrace of a friend or an entertaining party, letters and notes can help keep us afloat.

Illustrations by iStock

ICYMI

Three need-to-know stories

01.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced the closure of schools last week after the city’s coronavirus infection rate rose to 3 percent on a seven-day rolling average, but in schools, the transmission rate was only 0.16 percent. Some moms wonder: Why not shut down high-risk areas like gyms and restaurants?

02.

As of Thursday, more than a quarter-million people in the United States had died of covid-19, and cases continue to surge. Hospitals are facing a shortage of nurses, and public health officials are urging people not to travel for Thanksgiving. Lily staff writer Caroline Kitchener spoke to one woman last week as she wrestled with whether she should go home for the holiday. Read the full story here. 

03.

A report released by the Vatican last week devotes 10 pages to a woman it calls “Mother 1.” It describes the first time a person tried to alert church authorities about ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who has been accused of sexual mistreatment by nearly 20 boys and men. Mother 1 is now in her mid-80s and says the report came too late for her extended family.

Regram

A share from @thelilynews

Good news

A story to make you smile

Dolly Parton had a minor car accident in October 2013. Nothing terribly serious, but bruises and soreness led her to seek medical advice at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. There she met Naji Abumrad, a physician and professor of surgery, and the two formed a bond. Their friendship led Parton to make a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt for coronavirus research in honor of Abumrad. That money partially funded the biotechnology firm Moderna’s experimental vaccine, which appears to be nearly 95 percent effective at preventing the illness, writes Timothy Bella in The Washington Post. “Her work made it possible to expedite the science behind the testing,” Abumrad said. “Without a doubt in my mind, her funding made the research toward the vaccine go 10 times faster than it would be without it.”

Teens, tell us how you’re doing

We want to hear from you

Virtual schooling and social distancing rules have brought big changes to everyone’s life. Teenagers may be among the most impacted. Teens are meant to be gaining independence at this point in life, but are instead spending unprecedented amounts of time at home. The Washington Post is interested in hearing from you about how you’re navigating the pandemic. Fill out this form to let us know how you’re doing. A reporter may contact you to hear more.

Until next time

But before we part, some recs

Neema Roshania Patel

Editor, The Lily

What I’m doing before bedtime:

I’ve started writing my to-do list for the next day before getting into bed. I break it down by task, urgency and how long I think it will take me. It allows me more space to think about other things in the morning and helps me feel prepared for the day.

What I’m baking:

This vegan masala coffee crumb cake from my favorite British food blogger. If you cut the amount of crumb in half, it’s not too sweet and the perfect snack to accompany that second cup of coffee.

What’s keeping me cozy:

I recently purchased this knee-length fleece coat. At first, I wondered if it was too much fleece. But as it turns out, there’s no such thing.

🖤

Thanks for reading.