Twists and Turns
Over the last decade it feels like life has been a series of twists and turns that constantly remind me of how in just an instant life can change- the plans made and future dreams shift out of focus forcing me to re-imagine my tomorrows.
Some of the twists were good like the day our son was born but even then, delivering at 28 weeks with many hurdles to climb, forever rewrote our story. Or there were the turns like when I received my diagnosis knowing in that moment - my life had forever changed. Or in those nightmarish days that my Mom slipped away leaving my heart broken and world shattered. In these most vulnerable and raw moments it was clear that the control I thought I had in my carefully made plans was not in fact the way life worked. Instead I learned the control I had was how I chose to respond as life unfolded, however it saw fit.
And then there was our COVID moment -one shared by the entire world - when in an instant our lives forever changed. At the time we did not understand the true magnitude of what it would mean. I remember at the beginning thinking it would be a week or two or at most a month. And yet here we are almost two years later in the next twist and turn of this pandemic with one of the worst surges to date as we spiral out of control.
Thankfully, I got my COVID booster just as cases began to climb but have spent the last two weeks recovering slowly. It hit me harder this time than the first but I am now grateful to have the protection. School break fell at just the right time for us to lock down and live in our safe bubble. But now on the eve of school returning my mind is racing and anxiety is rising unsure of what the week will bring- hoping we can avoid what feels inevitable.
As I think about what the next few days may hold I have accepted the part that is out of our control- the surge is here and we must all pivot and handle ourselves accordingly. But this is not an individual problem- it is not just how one person acts but how everyone behaves- and that is what perhaps produces the most anxiety in me.
I have said a lot the last two weeks, how much I longed for my old rare normal - when I only had to contend with mast cells and my own body not covid too. I remember when COVID began and how odd it was for everyone to be living my reality - suddenly a part of my rare world. But in time and as we have moved forward we have not done so the rare disease way - united and together.
So in this next turn we make I challenge everyone to live like you are part of a community- to remember your actions impact others. I am not suggesting people should stop living again-we must find our way to live- but we also must find a way to live where we take care of each other. Think about your neighbor who is elderly, your child's classmate who may have a parent making them more vulnerable to complications or a colleague with a special needs child. Challenge yourself to care about these people as if they are your own family and proceed accordingly. The fabric of our lives and our communities are made up of all these unique pieces and we cannot be whole if we do not protect us all. Please stay home if you are sick, get tested after traveling, wear masks correctly and get vaccinated. Protect the most vulnerable and know that when we come through this we will do so together - without losing more lives- more parents, more sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and relatives.
Yes, we have all been thrown for yet another loop- but how we react now and respond to this loop will be what shapes our tomorrows and ensures they will soon be brighter.
