Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine spoke one-on-one with ABC 6/FOX 28 about what it has been like to be by Gov. Mike DeWine's side during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My job is just to keep everything normal," she said.
Nothing really has been normal most of this year. DeWine's had a front-row seat as the governor made decisions during the pandemic.
"You know the first big decision, (referring to shutdowns) was when he had to shut down the Arnold Classic," she said.
That was back in March. The first lady said it sounded crazy at the time, but her husband knew it was the right decision to make.
"We were at this high spread and we just really found out about how bad this virus was and we realized the Classic would have made a huge spread, and so what do you do? And he just said, I can't let this happen," DeWine said.
Since then, the decisions haven't gotten any easier.
"He's so concerned about saving lives and saving families, he knows what people are going through, so in that sense, it's a heavy burden," DeWine said.
But in the middle of the pandemic, DeWine has been able to share her passion, the Imagination Library.
"It's a wonderful program, " she said.
Every child in Ohio from birth to 5 years old gets free books.
MORE: 83,000 Franklin County children eligible for free books due to new program
"Moms write me and tell me how excited they are... and even if you sign up at the hospital, because it does take a couple of months before you get that first book, but it's very exciting when that first book comes in the mail, " DeWine said.
And as families get ready for the holidays, she has this message:
"The most important thing is it's Christmas and it's a joyous time of the year, but we have to remember to be safe because we want next Christmas to have with our whole families around us. "