Host: Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and many families will be spending the holiday away from their loved ones.
In order to stay socially distant and still feel connected, some families will be recording remote StoryCorps interviews about their lives. Like this one:
Anthony Fauci (AF): What do you remember about the first time we met?
Christine Grady (CG): I remember the most is that you weren’t as scary as people make you have to be. I know everybody was afraid of you.
And when I first saw you, I thought, “what are they talking about?” he’s young and handsome and doesn’t seem that scary.
Host: That’s Dr. Anthony Fauci, and his wife Dr. Christine Grady… who sat down this week to record a StoryCorps interview. They’ll be spending Thanksgiving this year without their three daughters… for the first time since the girls were born.
(CG): Do you remember what it felt like to first become a dad?
(AF): [laughs] Yeah, I was afraid.
CG: Afraid of what?
AF: That we had this responsibility for this baby. I was this highly respected physician. You know, and I can take care of any adult you want, but I don’t know how to take care of a baby, so I was very nervous.
When you have a baby in the house that’s just born, you’re afraid they’re going to stop breathing or something. But, I figured this has been going on for millennia, so…
CG: So you could handle it?
AF: So I could handle it.
CG: You’ve been a runner as long as I’ve known you. Do you see any parallels between parenting and running?
AF: Yes. The long haul of it, it’s an uber marathon, so you just have to hang in there and not give up.
CG: I think I approach parenting with everything I’ve got and I think I approach my work with everything I got, too. So, and I know you do.
AF: I mean the idea of sticking with something and not giving up, even when it’s painful.
What we’re going through now is very, very stressful. Stressful because there’s an almost insurmountable work to do. And, you know, the quicker you get a vaccine out that’s safe and effective, the more lives are being saved.
CG: Yeah.
AF: So let me ask you a question. Our daughters have decided not to join us for Thanksgiving because their daddy is in a risk group because of my age. What are you going to miss the most about that?
CG: I’m going to miss having them here. Thanksgiving is such a special time of year and I’m sad that they’re not going to be here. But we’ve got an enormous amount to be thankful for. So what are you going to miss about Thanksgiving?
AF: I think much the same thing. I’ve been busy throughout my entire life and I’m conscious of the fact that I missed a lot of things when they were growing up. So any chance I get to be with them is precious.
CG: If you could leave a message with them from this interview, is there something you would want them to know?
AF: Yeah, that I’m proud of their decision.
CG: Proud of them in so many ways. I think we have a lot to be thankful for.
AF: Yeah. The thing that I’m most thankful is that, quite frankly, is you.
CG: We have each other, that’s for sure.
AF: Yeah, We have each other, for sure.
