top of page
Search

Trail's End Week 6 2021

Writer's picture: Terese and ThomasTerese and Thomas

Well here is something we never had to do when we lived (our whole lives) in California...check weather conditions for driving home. Or in other words, the best laid plans in winter may need to be suddenly changed. Covid was the instigator of all this flexible living. First we couldn't leave our homes and had to work and socialize completely on Zoom. Then there was Nate getting into graduate school a year early and both my children, their spouses and my only grandchild (so far) living 3,000 miles away with no possibility of air travel. Which is what got us to where we are today ~ visiting our granddaughter for a week to celebrate her first birthday and trying to figure out how safe it is to travel back to Virginia in time for Thomas to get his first vaccine on Tuesday at 5:00. Now we are glued to our weather app.


Valentine's Day 2021. A year ago today we were all going about our unmasked lives with absolutely no idea of what was about to hit us. We were just beginning to hear about the flu that was affecting an area of China. And if you were like me, it seemed like it was something so far away that just affects someone in some less fortunate part of the world. Within five weeks we were shut down. I don't remember when we all started wearing masks to go out but I know it was soon after that. Then schools shut down and small businesses closed. The class divide increased with those who could work at home saving money with nowhere to spend it, and those who could not struggled to pay their rent. Capitalism at its very worst moment with its very worst leader.


Thomas and I have spent the past week with a little human being who knows nothing different than being surrounded all the time by people who take care of her and love her. The pandemic for her has been a blessing. Yesterday, as we gave Kiel and Carly a well needed break from parenthood, we watched Tala explore the world on her hands and knees and talked about how she might learn about this time in her future history class. It will not be a scary existential crisis for her to remember; it will be a time of pure, positive attachment to the people in her world. She has yet to learn what an unpredictable place the world can be and I find myself thinking about all the ways I can postpone that eventual learning for her.


Several years ago I went to a process painting workshop for therapists. I was so out of my element. It required me to get out of my head and into some natural flow process that always eludes me. But, it introduced me to an Irish poet who I have come to love. For you, my community, I offer this poem on Valentine's Day 2021 when I hope we are on the precipice of our new beginning out of this dark time.



This is the time to be slow,

Lie low to the wall,

Until the bitter weather passes.


Try, as best you can,

not to let

The wire brush of doubt

Scrape from your heart,

All sense of yourself

And your hesitant light.


If you remain generous

Time will come good

And you will find your feet again

On fresh pastures of promise

Where the air will be kind

And blushed with beginning.


~John O'Donohoe


(Our Volvo finally feels at home!)



43 views2 comments

Recent Posts

See All

humble

This microscopic virus is kicking our asses. As I was driving to work yesterday, listening to NPR, the financial report came on. ...

adapt

2 Comments


jshustler
Feb 14, 2021

Thanks for sharing such an appropriate poem for for these times. I've saved it to remind myself that the "bitter weather" will pass. With our vaccines this past week it does seem that better days are ahead.

Like

carolcairns35
Feb 14, 2021

Beautiful poem Terese. Thank you for sharing.

Like
bottom of page