April 22nd marked the one year anniversary of the passing of my father-in-law. While much of the past twelve months have seemed to drag by due to Covid, it certainly does not feel like a year ago that we got the call in the middle of the night that he had died. At times like this, I find it easier to express myself through poetry and my photography. Here are my reflections on the anniversary of his death:
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| tribute to my father-in-law |
To date, North Carolina has had 731,000 cases and 8,839 deaths. In the United States there have been 25.5 million cases and 425,000 deaths. Worldwide there have been 100 million cases and 2.16 million deaths.
While earlier it seemed clear that a covid vaccine would soon be available to all who wanted to get one, recent events have indicated a shortage of the shots. Whether that is because the states aren't getting the supply (which is what they say) or the states have the supply but don't have the manpower or funds to administer the shots (which is what the pharmaceutical companies are saying) is unclear. It is sad that there is so much finger pointing going on in what is literally a matter of life and death. There are all kinds of tales of people receiving the vaccine who do not qualify (due to their age or work situation) while other folks who clearly qualify due to age or health are being told there is no appointment available for them.
The fog that rolled in here last night is indicative of my current mood.
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| foggy night |
Today is my 65th birthday. I am officially a card-carrying member of Medicare. It is hard to comprehend that I am of that age. I certainly don't feel it, and many people say I don't look it. Most years I don't give too much thought to the new number I become on October 28th, but somehow applying for Medicare changes all that.
For the last 5 or so years we have traveled for my birthday, normally on a cruise with our old (perhaps I should say long-time?) friends from high school and college. This year travel is off the table due to COVID. We do plan to go out to dinner but will go early. It is rainy so we will have to eat inside. Last year on my birthday the moving truck arrived with all of our St. Louis belongings. After the movers left, we found a Mexican restaurant to try for my birthday dinner. It was large, clean, and had great food and margaritas. We will go there and see if it seems "safe" to dine in.
This afternoon I composed the poem below and placed it on one of the photos I took in Hilton Head early this year before the coronavirus shut the country down.
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| Happy birthday to me |
How ironic that I posted on September 11th about 9/11 and how we should never forget that date and it's importance to not only the United States but also the world. I now have an additional reason I will never forget. Friday afternoon my only sister died very unexpectedly. At 11 years older than me she was often a second mother to me as well as my big sister. Coming so close on the heels of losing both my beloved father-in-law and mother-in-law, this is such a heavy burden to bear. It really has not sunk in yet. As I do best in such times putting my feelings into a poem, below sums up my current state of mind.
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| Kathy Lane memorial |
