CHRISTMAS, COVID & MAKING THE BEST OF IT

 

Christmas arrived at long last. We had a quiet celebration. Just my hubby and I. On Christmas Eve we watched Pope Frank celebrate Midnight Mass and saw that interesting Sci-Fi creche.  Then went to bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads. In the morning, we woke up to a new day. Breakfast was a piece of stollen. YUM YUM. And an avocado with salsa. Also a hard boiled egg and banana. Nothing fancy. We kept in touch with the rest of the family, via the computer and phone, throughout the day. We  sang Christmas carols and opened presents from the family. Later,  as the sun began to set... we appreciated all the good we’ve got, instead of focusing on the bad.  We made a rotisserie chicken with herb roasted potatoes and cranberry salad for dinner. Just keeping it simple as possible,  because it was far from normal this year, and we didn’t want a big mess to clean up. Our youngest daughter out in Colorado, has recently recovered from Covid, sort of. She's what they call a long hauler with symptoms that have lingered.  Only to have a tooth break off,  eating a piece of Naan,  earlier in the week. It caused extreme pain and must be removed.  But can’t be operated on until Monday. Needless to say, she has been miserable. She has been putting cold compresses on her cheek and taking meds to  handle the pain, until then. Meanwhile, our oldest in Ohio is also sick. She can’t smell or taste a thing. Feels difficulty when she breathes. Fever coming and going. And she’s fatigued, sleeping as much as 18 hours  at a time. The first diagnosis was Covid. She began to quarantine. Her test came back negative. They now think it’s pneumonia. She may get fired for calling off work. Do you believe that? HEARTLESS at this time of year.  She's sick. Really sick. (We are worried the Covid test yielded a false negative result and what happens if it was incorrect? She’s missing valuable time to be treated. unfortunately it WAS Covid, like we suspected, according to her doctor ) So… she spent Christmas Day snuggled under the covers trying to keep the chills, and coughing...  at bay, until she sees her doc next week.  It is hard to see your children suffer, whatever their age. But at the holidays it’s especially difficult, especially when you are at a distance. Both daughters in recent days have given us their final wishes, if they were to pass. This is something no mother or father wants to hear. So there was little joy to be found in our homes  because of the dire need for them to do that. Unfortunately, my hubby and I are much in the same boat as our daughters, though. Seriously, our health problems are too numerous to mention. BUT… they are causing grave concern, as many of mine are getting worse not better. As are my husband’s. We could wallow in self pity. But that wouldn’t help. You play the hand you are dealt and make the best of it. And on Christmas Day we did just that. No more bleak forecasts about the future. I will be grateful when 2020 is a distant memory.  Only a week to go….