Pooja, I am deeply touched by your sharing and hope that your story will
encourage other women to create more hopeful futures for themselves.
Udhay, this past year and a half has been a continual disaster parade
for me and my family, starting with my mother's quarantine aboard the
Grand Princess cruise ship.
During my 2020 year-end journaling, I was struck by how many major
events had been all-but-forgotten in the sweep of disaster.
My sister was diagnosed with cancer during our evacuation for the CZU
Lightning Complex fire. The sudden death of my daughter's fiancé in
October overshadowed very dark days in the autumn and winter.
A few weeks after Taylor's death, we joined my daughter's fiancé's
family to sort through and pack up Taylor's things. Taylor's mother was
frantically turning the place upside-down. She presented my daughter
with an engagement ring and told her about Taylor's plans for a formal
proposal on Valentine's Day.
We'd managed everything well enough until then, facing crises with
optimism and mutual support. After Taylor's death and the shattering of
my daughter's future, it was all we could do to keep putting one foot in
front of other.
My 60th birthday was marked by the insurrection at the Capitol. A week
later, the death of all but one of the finches in our aviary (who had
miraculously survived 3 weeks home alone during the fire evacuation) due
to carbon monoxide poisoning passed like just another car in the
relentless train of horrible events.
We learned to celebrate silver linings, no matter how thin. The birds'
deaths might have saved my children's lives.
I desperately sought vaccination this spring so I could visit my sister.
I talked with her on May 21st, planning our visit. On May 22nd, I got my
second dose and felt oddly euphoric for half an hour. I returned home to
discover my sister was in a coma. She died the next day.
Things seem to be settling down (knock on wood), but this time of crisis
has left us with harsh edges and a depleted ability to cope.
We will survive. We have been so fortunate even in this trying time to
have good jobs and strong family support. Things could have been much worse.
I am reluctant to contact old friends because of the mine field of
terrible news.
My job has kept me steady. Words have failed me, but learning to draw
has kept me sane.
Mostly.
Thank you for being here.
--
Heather Madrone ([email protected])
Blog: http://www.knitfitter.com/category/personal/
http://sheltershock.thecomicseries.com
The Goddess moves mountains -- bring a shovel.
