As the Virus outbreak continues, I note that the rings of those affected gets closer and closer. There are some that are recovering… that is the good news. And there are people dying…
I’m not turning on the news much these days… just tuning into my circle of friends and family to get a reality check. Recently:
A few friends are very sick and were tested this week… they are pretty sure they have the virus.
A friend’s 26 year old nephew who had been in the ICU on life support had a miraculous recovery and is home.
A friend’s friend who was in great health, and just had turned 50, died.
My cousin who tested positive and has the virus has had good days and bad. She feels stronger
A friend’s family member tested positive on a Tuesday, and died two days later on Thursday.
A friend’s daughter fresh out of medical residency in New York City, had the virus, has recovered; and now is deployed as an Internal Medicine Doctor at another NY hospital. Right back serving…
Amidst reality, one struggle is going on about reopening our economy, before we have this virus figured out. Before testing is available; before antibody testing is available; before there is a vaccine. Another struggle is events continue to be cancelled, as it is not wise to gather people. Today my daughter’s college officially announced the commencement service will be a virtual format. We had expected this… it feels like yet one more sigh in our society.
And it seems there is sadness and longing that is shared by so many, in different ways. Through different lenses, different experiences, different perspectives.
As I find the back and forth of emotions, my joy today came with my now daily routine of virtual reading time, with my 9-year-old grandniece! As I grieve my young adult daughter’s loss of celebrating a challenging path toward a college degree, I am being taken back to that little girl stage, of unicorns and silly putty and glitter lotions and so much possibility ahead.
Today I started reading from A.A. Milne, “The World Of Pooh: A Collection of Stories” It is a book that my Aunt Bobbie mailed to my sister in 1964 and has a loving inscription written inside the cover. Today’s story had Pooh trying to figure out how to get up to the top of a tree with a balloon to acquire honey. Once his brilliant plan is launched, as he is also launched with a balloon to rise up high enough; he finds it is the wrong kind of bees. There is something comforting about the wise and whimsical, silly old bear. For now, Pooh is accompanying me and my grandniece during these times.
I close this night with some of Pooh Bear’s wisdom:
“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Originally Published to Facebook on April 23rd, 2020 at https://www.facebook.com/creativecarolcelebrant/posts/156230012533865
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