May 24th, 2020 - 55 Again today - delighted to be here!
This is going to be a story. We are living in an important moment in the history of Planet Earth. The Novel Coronavirus has has had it’s effect on every soul on Earth and a few extra-terrestrials.
If I survive this scary time, I will remarry. But my prayers and actions are with loved ones and the grieving. None of my immediate others has passed or even been ill with the flu - may it be so onward.
It has been easy to conform to guidelines for several reasons:
1. PRO EDUCATION in the matter. I am pro arts, but lifelong RedCross as well and did shelter response “in the day” and Understand Public Health and Safety and Rescue. This scenario is a big deal - go ahead and think it so.
2. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF THAT TYPE ILLNESS I survived the Fort Dix viral pneumonia epidemic of 1966. Not as contagious as Covid, but the story similar. I’d visit my fiancee on weekends and so…I might have died and he was hospitalized for 21 days. Our wedding some weeks later found us young and happy and twenty pounds lighter - each. Our friends teasing us that we did it on purpose for the skinnier Wedding pictures. NOT. Unremarkable onset, high fever for a few days, soaked bedsheets when the fever broke, congestion, delirium, terrible weakness when it finished with me. NOT recommended. I’d forgotten about it - who wants to remember such? I remember now. And I am older now and stay fit but my odds of surviving Covid are not as good at “upper midlife”. EASY TO BE REALLY GOOD ABOUT SAFETY AND DISTANCING AND SHELTERING AT HOME. Whole Foods Delivers.
3. RESPECT FOR THE NIGHTMARE OF GRIEF SHOCK AND ITS RECOVERY JOUNEY. I survived the sudden and untimely death of my Love of my life, my husband and father of our children, suddenly and way too young - after 17 years of inseperable partnership - days of love and laughter that we thought would be ours as long as cared to care for it well. THREE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND deaths from covid mean that, if each has 4 close others, mean that well over ONE MILLION PEOPLE ARE IN CLINICAL GRIEF-SHOCK and half of them won’t even realize it till the main crisis has gone its way and life gets back to normal.
We can all start with good wishes and prayers in all directions. We can all be kind and even make the happy moments as usual - doing life is always the best. ALL THOSE PEOPLE - the survivors - are enduring what is said to be “Worst on Earth” - We pray for the repose of the souls of the dead, but I pray for the grieved and for their healing - I hope I am able to help a bit somehow - I am praying with every breath and as I make these masks, assembly-line fashion, there is a holy thought for each. If there is even 90 days warning, there is time to protect the love, the money, the children - but not when it happens as fast as these covid cases. I remember - sweet lord who made us - have mercy!
The human spirit is a miracle and we were personally so bitterly stricken, we healed and most of these people will heal as well - but it is a journey. And in the meantime….yikes.
Worse, just when we need a friend our friends are not able to be helpful - they may have loved our loved one, as well. They may have the loss of someone of their own to deal with. So they are suffering too. Help, at such times, comes from pros, strangers and others who just seem to have that miracle moment to share for our sake.
So all I can say is an urging to all to pay attention -
if you spot an acquaintance, co-worker, neighbor who seems to be very actively grieving, at least ask - “how are you doing?” - Grief Shock is physical and abusively mental - not just feelings in grief-shock. There is care that really helps. And They may need help. I recommend getting some counseling, because they can measure it all and advise the grief-stricken if serious action is needed. Find a way to say “BELIEVE” “Hang in - it DOES get better!” say it as gently but effectively as possible. It DOES get better. THEY KNOW THAT - but they do need to hear it from others. It is empowering.
When people are afraid, they can, too-often just get very “every man for himself” about it, and that is bad. When coronavirus is nothing but a memory, most of us want to be able to look in the mirror and smile.
