Already March 2021… Last year on March 1st Gene and I were in Washington State. We had traveled to see our grandson Jake, play baseball at Central Washington University, and had a perfect weekend: a cozy romantic Air BNB complete with a rushing stream flowing past, fun dinners with Jake and his college pals and baseball game–watching in frigid freezing hurricane force winds. (well, that part wasn’t exactly perfect but it truly was a crazy time we will never forget) Heading home in our rental care we encountered beautiful blizzard-like snow on the freeways headed back towards Seattle airport and we were eager to get back to warm toasty San Diego where the sun was shining.
Little did we know that would be our last trip for an awfully long time and within two weeks we would be in lock down because an extremely scary virus invading our country. Would we have believed the world as we knew it was slowly shutting down with what would soon become the frightening speed of an avalanche? Like everyone else, I do not think we could have comprehended the magnitude of change that was in the works.
Life continued and like everyone else we stayed home, followed the guidelines to remain virus free and adjusted. We learned (maybe the hard way) that we had not always appreciated all the ‘givens’ in our lives. Just hopping on a plane and flying anywhere we wanted to. Hugging. Celebrating birthdays. Simply sharing meals with friends, classes, concerts, holiday gatherings…. oh how I missed the hugs, the face to face conversation with our children and not being able to fly and visit loved ones…. the list goes on.
I knew I would not take those wonderful ‘givens’ for granted ever again.
Despite the horrifying numbers of people dying and sick all over the world and the constant unsettling fear, despite the unrest and deplorable politics and violence raging around the country and regardless of so many mornings of awful news and saying out loud, “just when I thought it could not get worse…it is.” we all plowed on.
Gene created his spring summer garden, cared for the orchard, stayed busy with projects around our home and our acre of property. He even did most of the shopping that I did not do online, worried because of my underlying condition, asthma. We became the new human parents of a 7-week-old golden retriever puppy, our Layla Louise, and that little beauty took considerable energy and hours of our time. The perfect distraction. Like everyone in the world, I learned to Zoom and continued my classes and meetings virtually. The Memoir Association, where I am president took up many hours and kept me busy.
We were thankful we could maintain contact with our children and grandchildren virtually and the ones here locally stopped by for social distanced visits in masks outside on our patio. It was not the same, but we were thankful for that. Best of all a new (number 10) grandson was born during the COVID-19 year. Our little Arthur.
And then lo and behold, I finished my manuscript, a fifth (at least) draft of my book and submitted to a few agents and to a publisher that I had admired from a far. Last summer I received an email. She Writes Press was interested in my book! I was thrilled and scared to death at the same time, but mostly I must admit I was a bit ecstatic. Signing a contract with She Writes Press – Brooke Warner, was something I had dreamed about and it was coming true.
Right now, I am in the Spring 2022 cohort and my memoir, You’ll Forget This Ever Happened has a pub date of May 10, 2022!
Needless to say, that has kept me focused on the future and relieved so much of my COVID-19 fatigue. Gene and I have done this together. Without his continued support and belief in me, I wonder if I would have ever gotten this far with my story.
I hope this finds all of you feeling more hopeful and proud of the strong survivors that you are. I thank you for reading my words and for being a shining light for me. I hope I can be for you as well.
I feel there is light at the end of this long tunnel we have all traveled together. The grey clouds are lifting and let us look forward to a healthier world in more ways than one.
Until next time.
Laura