Life as we know it has changed unquestionably for everyone in the wake of this yearś COVID-19 pandemic, which has wreaked havoc on everyoneś day-to-day existence due to social distancing and quarantine. Musicians and performers have been hit particularly hard, with just about every tour canceled until further notice. One musician who is, however, handling things with grace is Randy Travis—who, as his wife explains, has felt this feeling of isolation before.

Mary Travis told Rolling Stone in a recent interview that her husbandś tragic stroke in 2013 abruptly changed everything as they knew it. “Our world kind of shut down and came to a screeching halt seven years ago, when the stroke happened in July 2013,“ she noted. “That’s when we hit a brick wall and everything changed and we were isolated from everything we had known before.“

Given that experience, the sudden onset of coronavirus around the world and subsequent quarantine did not faze the couple. “To us, it was not that much of a transition," Mary states. “But for people that have never been through something like that in life, or a tragedy where your whole world is shattered and it changes in an instant, I’m sure that it was hard to adjust to, because it was hard for us to adjust to seven years ago.“

The Travises are luckily quarantining in a peaceful and beautiful setting—their Texas ranch, which Mary describes as filled with “wide open spaces and beautiful sunsets.“ She also cites their faith in God, which she says helped them seven years ago and is crucial for them today as well. “There’s no way you can get through something that changes your life so much in an instant, without having that faith.“

Travis is continuing to make impressive strides in his recovery, having most recently contributed to Josh Turnerś upcoming album, Country State of Mind, which drops Aug. 21.

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