Happy Friday! Somehow I blinked and itās basically August, and Iām not really sure how we got here. Iām in denial about the end of summer, but also welcoming it with open arms because itās that time of year when my children revolt and lose their minds. Thankfully I can throw myself into stories of Olympic dreams to help me cope with this while I attempt to begin the packing process. Itās been quite a summer, folks! Tell me the best part of yours in the comments!
How I'd love to be next to the stream in Sarah's IG post, reading a book and reflecting on life the last few years. It's been hard sometimes, and at other times I've been completely at peace. I strive for more of completely at peace, and sometimes I'm successful, but most times I'm not.
šš»āāļø Hi, gals (and guys?), itās August! Thereās no summer in Malaysia, but we do have a variation of rainier days and hotter days. Currently, itās getting hotter and stuffier, so Iām doing less walking. š„µ
The highlight of my week is a little plant š± which has blessed me with cute lil flowers. I didnāt do anything to it! I didnāt plant it. I didnāt water it. It was an empty pot with soil. I was just too lazy to pluck what I thought was the weeds. Then, the leaves grew. One day, it gave me a flower! And it has been giving me flowers every few days since then.
It reminded me of Godās grace and mercy. In the midst of all the *chaos happening in the world, and in my country, the flowers bloom on. (*lockdown, lockdown, madness, madness. Note: I also canāt buy flowers for the house as most shops are closed due to the lockdown).
The pot of plant assured me of His providence and sovereignty in all things. āŗļøšø
Happy Weekend Swipes!!!-- it's been an ERA since I've checked in. I've felt overwhelmed and I've been saving these posts for the weekend (when my brain has quieted and I can sit with all of you and dedicate my time).
This year has been so challenging in many ways, and so great in parallel ways. My reading is WAY down this year, but my experience meter is way up. I'm making friends, ending friendships all in the same week. I'm so done with my job, but having a hard time navigating how to pivot. I've applied to 50 different roles but have quickly realized that simply applying into larger companies does absolutely nothing and gains zero results. I've now gotten at least 15 rejections, which is demoralizing, but I have to remember that it's just a numbers game and I'm just a cog in the system.
I'm personally struggling with wanting to leave the world a better place, and to contribute something more valuable, but cannot figure out what that path is. I've done some reading, exercises on transferable skills and praying for clarity.
šÆāāļøI did have a coworker friend and her daughter come stay with me Wednesday-Friday and it was magical. Probably the very best guests I've ever experienced where I feel like I need to write them a thank you note! They left to attend memorial services for family Friday afternoon, so here I am having an entire weekend to relax and unwind. This is something I will encourage other friends to do, or maybe taking Monday/Tuesday off in the future so I can still have time to myself afterwards.
šŗ In addition to getting so emotional watching the Olympics, I've been enjoying Younger on Hulu.
š Loved Recently: Malibu Rising, People we Meet on Vacation and Tell Me Three Things.
I've missed checking in with you all, but so glad to hopefully contribute more going forward.
Late to the Comments Party ā¢ļø As life has been craaazzzyyy this past week. Our ābabyā turned 6 on Tuesday. We celebrated with grandparents and friends last Saturday. He was super excited about his Pete the Cat cake. It turned out super cute! Note: I did not make it. I rely on professionals with the custom jobs. š
Work has been in over drive and Iām beyond exhausted BUT I was able to stand up and let everyone know I need a break and have taking a day off here and there and that has made a huge difference. We also finally scheduled a vacation and will be heading out next week for an Alabama Road Tripā¢ļø. We live in the southeast corner of the state and are heading to Montgomery then Birmingham for a few days. Taking in a minor league baseball game, hitting the zoo, Buccees and all points in between!
Olympic notes:
Proud of Simone Biles in everything especially saying, I need a break. Sheās the GOAT always and forever.
Jordan Chiles is a delight to watch on and off the mat. Suni Lee is amazing!
Also, Rebeca Andrade from Brazil is stunning. 22 yrs old l, 3 ACL surgeries and crushed it in the all around competition. Amazing!
My oldest son (11) and I raced in the pool last weekend and it about killed me. I donāt know how these athletes do it.
In unrelated news, I finished all 9 seasons of The Practice (with dreamy Dylan McDermott) and now feel like Iāve been to law school and that I donāt want to be a lawyer. š Fun fact: I did take the LSAT in college.
Ted Lasso is back!
Watched the first episode of Schmigadoon and Iām all in!
On the house front, the lady whoās looked at it twice is coming again today with her son. Her house is supposed to be on the market at end of July (hello!) so, the new prayer is it sells quickly and we can be moved and settled sometime in the next 60 days. So, maybe October, Dawn, Erin and I can have some Prosecco and breathe a little. š³š
Hope everyone has a great weekend and a great week!
Prayers for all as we walk through this journey of life. Yāall are amazing women and am grateful for this corner of the internet. Yāall are rock stars!
There was a horse dancing to The Safety Dance during dressage. āYou can dance if you want toā¦ we can leave your friends behindā¦ā I was all by myself watching, and no one will believe me!
Oh hey! It's Friday! This week has been brought to you by the letters P, M, and S, and the number 44, which is apparently a perfectly fine age for perimenopause. I'm cranky, tired and whiny, and I've been waiting for my period for a couple of weeks now. Plus, I had applied for a job at my church and didn't get it (mildly disappointing, but mostly a relief, since now I can pms in the privacy of my own home), I've been climbing off the sobriety wagon off and on this summer, and it's been pushing 100 degrees every day for the past couple of weeks. C'mon, September!
My Olympic treasure this week has been watching the men's triathlon with my kids - we skipped through eight laps of the cycling, but we were all invested in the swimming and the running. And Simone, of course, taking care of herself, and also giving her teammates more of the spotlight than they would have gotten with her competing. They're all just really good!
Hi guys! I love the Swipes and am a first time commenter but long time reader. You have to know how intimidating this comments section is. Introducing myself here feels like walking into a high school cafeteria. Is there space for new folks to jump in or should I eat in a bathroom stall?
I'm currently in Michigan on vacation with family, but when I get back to Texas, I will totally get you that HEB candle, Erin. I've already put it in my HEB curbside pickup cart.
Family vacation in Michigan is bittersweet, since my sister who was killed in a car accident in March is not with us. We've had one service to scatter her ashes in a garden that was planted in her memory by the building where she worked. Lots of her colleagues and students came. We have another service Sunday at the graveside. I have a few good friends (who have been honorary sisters over the years) coming with their families for that as well.
Pray for us. It seems like grief is at the anger stage for most of my family. Lots of short tempers...
OK, 100% Olympics here. The women's road cycling and triathlon were amazing to me. How the Austrian woman won the road race is beyond. The #2 forgot she was ahead of her!
And the triathlon - literally how do they do that *without socks on*
The best (and worst) part of our summer is that we sold our house. Best because we were able to pay off a bunch of debt (I could just sob with relief), but the worst, because real estate is so stressful. Now we sort through the loan process and buy a new house. I hope to be able to relax in, what, October, maybe? Right now I am living the packing tweet below. š This is all happening as our business which all but dies in 2020 is coming back to life. Which is awesome! But also means long, busy work days intermingled with the real estate. I am so thankful for all of it. But also need coffee at 3pm now. I haven't been able to engage much with the Olympics, but so proud of Simone!
Hello from the mountains! Having a wonderful time in a different place, HANGING WITH SWIPES IN REAL LIFE ššš these girls got the biggest hugs. It has been so fun to be together for real in one spot with Bethany, Danielle, and Megan (for a hot minute). Highlights include the cutest towns, rocking chairs on the back deck for nature time, making B and D get up for the most beautiful mountain sunrise (friggin worth it), and laughing till we cry and crying till we laugh. What a gift this whole community is. Hereās a little taste of the soundtrack for me personally: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7Hl57KrTpxB4u3jkn8xg3A?si=XLUQzfBTSEys1qo3Yg-MIA&dl_branch=1
My Olympic treasure are obvi tiktok related since I havenāt gotten to watch a bunch of the events yet (the womenās marathon next friday is going to be eagerly anticipated).
And a light roundup since my educating this week has been introducing Danielle to the HSM franchise. Yes, it has been as glorious as it sounds. (https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdgdYr/)
Not a lot today, because my life is exclusively the Olympics now (all of my sports enthusiasm and patriotism is reserved solely for the Olympics every two years).
However! We successfully got through a visit with my mother-in-law without an argument (definitely helped that she only stayed with us for three days instead of three weeks like last time), so I'm calling that a win.
- MEETING MY BESTIES IN PERSON. Yāall. Iāve been talking with these women every day this year as we go through The Bible Recap together and it was the greatest joy to hug them in person and share a meal around the same table.
- Speaking of meals, we had THE BEST dinner at a restaurant in a tiny Girlmore-Girls-esque town in the mountains. It was my first restaurant experience since the pandemic began and it was delicious!
- I drove down to NC from Chicago and passed through the Smoky Mountains where Dolly Parton grew up and I listened to her book āSongtellerā where she gives the backstory on a lot of her songs. It was delightful.
I missed yāall last week. I was deep in the overwhelmed trenches. Weāll hit the highlights together:
š“Two sick little boys. 102Ā° temps each, two sinus infections, four ear infections, one ruptured ear drum with a hole in it.
š“One newly 13 year daughter a her first sleep away camp. Her camp counselor tested positive for covid. The next morning said daughter had to be picked up early from camp because she had 102Ā°. Which Iām grateful she even told anyone she felt sick because as an introvert I feared sheād get sick and tell no one. She tested mega for covid but did have a sinus infection and swimmers ear.
š“On the way to picking her up my husband had an allergic reaction to something he ate so every 15 minutes of the two hour drive he has to stop to throw up.
š“Add in all the things one must do to keep a house and life running on top of all that chaos and Iām wiped out- still
š“Now Iām panicking over the last three weeks before school starts.
Now the good:
š¤ I did let myself cry during the crazy- just a smidge.
š¤I admitted I needed help but didnāt know what I needed to my BFF. Which is huge for me because usually I just Iām fine, I got this. She showed up with baskets of food, medicine, wine, ice cream and paper products.
š¤Moose Tracks Bullwinkle Spatz has his surgery Tuesday! I know that it is for āhealthā reasons that you should get your dog neutered. But yāall the truth is I cannot have those things hanging around on my furniture! I donāt want to walk behind him and see them swinging. I get that itās a totally weird reason but itās fine!
Attempting the beach today and tomorrow, thank God because my soul needs to breathe!
Much love to my favorite internet gang in all the land!!!
I really want to talk about the Olympics but unfortunately my heart is on much heavier things. Less than 2 weeks ago, I found out that my cousin, Keri (57) and her husband, Jon (56) were sick with Covid, that his oxygen levels were low and oxygen they had given at home was not helping. The next day his oldest daughter took him to the hospital where they promptly admitted him. They decided then that their mom should go too. Everything changed so quickly at that point. Within a couple of days, they were both on ventilators, fighting for their lives with doctors and nurses trying everything they could do. Keri died on Wednesday morning. The virus had just ravished her body theyāve said. Jon is still hanging on and as of last night, had a fairly uneventful day. Our hearts are broken. I am grieving for Keriās kids (39, 33 and 24) because I know what it is like to lose a mom (with the very real possibility of losing their dad too), grieving for my aunt who has now lost both her children among numerous other losses, grieving myself over the loss of my cousin. It just doesn't seem real. As people of faith, we are praying and trying to keep hope, but Iāll admit I am struggling. It is very reminiscent of my momsās sickness and death, when so many people were praying, are praying, and yet this outcome. I just wanted to see a modern day miracle so badly. Iām not mad at God but I just donāt understand. I know thatās how it just is sometimes and I may never understand some things this side of heaven, but I still hate it.
A couple of ātreasuresā out of it all is that two of the kids at a time have been able to be there with their parents through all of this and I have been able to be with them several days this week, including the one where she passed. A couple of times it was in the parking lot supporting the daughter-in-law and son-in-law who couldnāt go in but also at end of life, I was able to be there and love on them as they made phone calls and cried and still tried to stay strong for their dad. And if there is any good that comes from losing my own mom at a young age, I can be there for them, hear their cries and relate so well. I hate this so much. It is truly devastating to the whole family.
Sidenote: We had to cancel our beach vacation that we were supposed to leave on tomorrow and that is another sadness on top of everything.
I'm late to the party because of vacation. Do you have a HEB candle yet??? I can put one in the mail to you- same day service. Just say the word.
How I'd love to be next to the stream in Sarah's IG post, reading a book and reflecting on life the last few years. It's been hard sometimes, and at other times I've been completely at peace. I strive for more of completely at peace, and sometimes I'm successful, but most times I'm not.
šš»āāļø Hi, gals (and guys?), itās August! Thereās no summer in Malaysia, but we do have a variation of rainier days and hotter days. Currently, itās getting hotter and stuffier, so Iām doing less walking. š„µ
The highlight of my week is a little plant š± which has blessed me with cute lil flowers. I didnāt do anything to it! I didnāt plant it. I didnāt water it. It was an empty pot with soil. I was just too lazy to pluck what I thought was the weeds. Then, the leaves grew. One day, it gave me a flower! And it has been giving me flowers every few days since then.
It reminded me of Godās grace and mercy. In the midst of all the *chaos happening in the world, and in my country, the flowers bloom on. (*lockdown, lockdown, madness, madness. Note: I also canāt buy flowers for the house as most shops are closed due to the lockdown).
The pot of plant assured me of His providence and sovereignty in all things. āŗļøšø
Happy Weekend Swipes!!!-- it's been an ERA since I've checked in. I've felt overwhelmed and I've been saving these posts for the weekend (when my brain has quieted and I can sit with all of you and dedicate my time).
This year has been so challenging in many ways, and so great in parallel ways. My reading is WAY down this year, but my experience meter is way up. I'm making friends, ending friendships all in the same week. I'm so done with my job, but having a hard time navigating how to pivot. I've applied to 50 different roles but have quickly realized that simply applying into larger companies does absolutely nothing and gains zero results. I've now gotten at least 15 rejections, which is demoralizing, but I have to remember that it's just a numbers game and I'm just a cog in the system.
I'm personally struggling with wanting to leave the world a better place, and to contribute something more valuable, but cannot figure out what that path is. I've done some reading, exercises on transferable skills and praying for clarity.
šÆāāļøI did have a coworker friend and her daughter come stay with me Wednesday-Friday and it was magical. Probably the very best guests I've ever experienced where I feel like I need to write them a thank you note! They left to attend memorial services for family Friday afternoon, so here I am having an entire weekend to relax and unwind. This is something I will encourage other friends to do, or maybe taking Monday/Tuesday off in the future so I can still have time to myself afterwards.
šŗ In addition to getting so emotional watching the Olympics, I've been enjoying Younger on Hulu.
š Loved Recently: Malibu Rising, People we Meet on Vacation and Tell Me Three Things.
I've missed checking in with you all, but so glad to hopefully contribute more going forward.
Late to the Comments Party ā¢ļø As life has been craaazzzyyy this past week. Our ābabyā turned 6 on Tuesday. We celebrated with grandparents and friends last Saturday. He was super excited about his Pete the Cat cake. It turned out super cute! Note: I did not make it. I rely on professionals with the custom jobs. š
Work has been in over drive and Iām beyond exhausted BUT I was able to stand up and let everyone know I need a break and have taking a day off here and there and that has made a huge difference. We also finally scheduled a vacation and will be heading out next week for an Alabama Road Tripā¢ļø. We live in the southeast corner of the state and are heading to Montgomery then Birmingham for a few days. Taking in a minor league baseball game, hitting the zoo, Buccees and all points in between!
Olympic notes:
Proud of Simone Biles in everything especially saying, I need a break. Sheās the GOAT always and forever.
Jordan Chiles is a delight to watch on and off the mat. Suni Lee is amazing!
Also, Rebeca Andrade from Brazil is stunning. 22 yrs old l, 3 ACL surgeries and crushed it in the all around competition. Amazing!
My oldest son (11) and I raced in the pool last weekend and it about killed me. I donāt know how these athletes do it.
In unrelated news, I finished all 9 seasons of The Practice (with dreamy Dylan McDermott) and now feel like Iāve been to law school and that I donāt want to be a lawyer. š Fun fact: I did take the LSAT in college.
Ted Lasso is back!
Watched the first episode of Schmigadoon and Iām all in!
On the house front, the lady whoās looked at it twice is coming again today with her son. Her house is supposed to be on the market at end of July (hello!) so, the new prayer is it sells quickly and we can be moved and settled sometime in the next 60 days. So, maybe October, Dawn, Erin and I can have some Prosecco and breathe a little. š³š
Hope everyone has a great weekend and a great week!
Prayers for all as we walk through this journey of life. Yāall are amazing women and am grateful for this corner of the internet. Yāall are rock stars!
There was a horse dancing to The Safety Dance during dressage. āYou can dance if you want toā¦ we can leave your friends behindā¦ā I was all by myself watching, and no one will believe me!
Oh hey! It's Friday! This week has been brought to you by the letters P, M, and S, and the number 44, which is apparently a perfectly fine age for perimenopause. I'm cranky, tired and whiny, and I've been waiting for my period for a couple of weeks now. Plus, I had applied for a job at my church and didn't get it (mildly disappointing, but mostly a relief, since now I can pms in the privacy of my own home), I've been climbing off the sobriety wagon off and on this summer, and it's been pushing 100 degrees every day for the past couple of weeks. C'mon, September!
My Olympic treasure this week has been watching the men's triathlon with my kids - we skipped through eight laps of the cycling, but we were all invested in the swimming and the running. And Simone, of course, taking care of herself, and also giving her teammates more of the spotlight than they would have gotten with her competing. They're all just really good!
Hi guys! I love the Swipes and am a first time commenter but long time reader. You have to know how intimidating this comments section is. Introducing myself here feels like walking into a high school cafeteria. Is there space for new folks to jump in or should I eat in a bathroom stall?
I'm currently in Michigan on vacation with family, but when I get back to Texas, I will totally get you that HEB candle, Erin. I've already put it in my HEB curbside pickup cart.
Family vacation in Michigan is bittersweet, since my sister who was killed in a car accident in March is not with us. We've had one service to scatter her ashes in a garden that was planted in her memory by the building where she worked. Lots of her colleagues and students came. We have another service Sunday at the graveside. I have a few good friends (who have been honorary sisters over the years) coming with their families for that as well.
Pray for us. It seems like grief is at the anger stage for most of my family. Lots of short tempers...
OK, 100% Olympics here. The women's road cycling and triathlon were amazing to me. How the Austrian woman won the road race is beyond. The #2 forgot she was ahead of her!
And the triathlon - literally how do they do that *without socks on*
The best (and worst) part of our summer is that we sold our house. Best because we were able to pay off a bunch of debt (I could just sob with relief), but the worst, because real estate is so stressful. Now we sort through the loan process and buy a new house. I hope to be able to relax in, what, October, maybe? Right now I am living the packing tweet below. š This is all happening as our business which all but dies in 2020 is coming back to life. Which is awesome! But also means long, busy work days intermingled with the real estate. I am so thankful for all of it. But also need coffee at 3pm now. I haven't been able to engage much with the Olympics, but so proud of Simone!
Hello from the mountains! Having a wonderful time in a different place, HANGING WITH SWIPES IN REAL LIFE ššš these girls got the biggest hugs. It has been so fun to be together for real in one spot with Bethany, Danielle, and Megan (for a hot minute). Highlights include the cutest towns, rocking chairs on the back deck for nature time, making B and D get up for the most beautiful mountain sunrise (friggin worth it), and laughing till we cry and crying till we laugh. What a gift this whole community is. Hereās a little taste of the soundtrack for me personally: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7Hl57KrTpxB4u3jkn8xg3A?si=XLUQzfBTSEys1qo3Yg-MIA&dl_branch=1
My Olympic treasure are obvi tiktok related since I havenāt gotten to watch a bunch of the events yet (the womenās marathon next friday is going to be eagerly anticipated).
šš»- https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcducvs/
Ilona Maher, MVP of USA Olympian tiktok - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdH6Bb/ / https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcd9M5X/ / https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcd9M5X/ / (audio ā ļø muff em kids) https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcd9M5X/
What to wear on your first day of school - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdsQR8/
And a light roundup since my educating this week has been introducing Danielle to the HSM franchise. Yes, it has been as glorious as it sounds. (https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdgdYr/)
In the Hogwarts Owlery (Megs found this) - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcd9M5X/ / https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcd7VRj/
HP Chess Playlist - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdpYKp/
Me playing DJ - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdq5G4/
I cried laughing at this ā ļø - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdVYaL/
Icebreaker - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdgahU/
Two places at once - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdoQPP/
This is a whole a mood - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcR2ykU/
Immaculate vibes - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcRDtCA/
And finally, a little Celine - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdcdEvfj/
Hi everyone!
Not a lot today, because my life is exclusively the Olympics now (all of my sports enthusiasm and patriotism is reserved solely for the Olympics every two years).
However! We successfully got through a visit with my mother-in-law without an argument (definitely helped that she only stayed with us for three days instead of three weeks like last time), so I'm calling that a win.
Can't wait to read about all your weeks!
Morning!
I really thought Iād be writing this to yāall from a cabin in the mountains with fellow beloved Swipes Tiktok Jillian, Bethany, and Danielle, but Iām not. š© I drove down to the cabin on Monday and got a call late that night that my dog was attacked (AGAIN) by my neighborās dog. I stayed at the cabin on Tuesday and had such a lovely time celebrating Bethanyās birthday, but then on Wednesday I drove back home to my pup. It was a hard decision, but I know it was the right one for Mableās well-being. She was already really anxious because I left her and then the trauma on top of that was too much for her to handle. As of right now, she is recovering well and Iām accruing a lot of medical bills that my neighbor is being sketchy about paying.
Treasures this week:
- MEETING MY BESTIES IN PERSON. Yāall. Iāve been talking with these women every day this year as we go through The Bible Recap together and it was the greatest joy to hug them in person and share a meal around the same table.
- Speaking of meals, we had THE BEST dinner at a restaurant in a tiny Girlmore-Girls-esque town in the mountains. It was my first restaurant experience since the pandemic began and it was delicious!
- I drove down to NC from Chicago and passed through the Smoky Mountains where Dolly Parton grew up and I listened to her book āSongtellerā where she gives the backstory on a lot of her songs. It was delightful.
Looking forward to reading y'all's comments!
Good Morning!
I missed yāall last week. I was deep in the overwhelmed trenches. Weāll hit the highlights together:
š“Two sick little boys. 102Ā° temps each, two sinus infections, four ear infections, one ruptured ear drum with a hole in it.
š“One newly 13 year daughter a her first sleep away camp. Her camp counselor tested positive for covid. The next morning said daughter had to be picked up early from camp because she had 102Ā°. Which Iām grateful she even told anyone she felt sick because as an introvert I feared sheād get sick and tell no one. She tested mega for covid but did have a sinus infection and swimmers ear.
š“On the way to picking her up my husband had an allergic reaction to something he ate so every 15 minutes of the two hour drive he has to stop to throw up.
š“Add in all the things one must do to keep a house and life running on top of all that chaos and Iām wiped out- still
š“Now Iām panicking over the last three weeks before school starts.
Now the good:
š¤ I did let myself cry during the crazy- just a smidge.
š¤I admitted I needed help but didnāt know what I needed to my BFF. Which is huge for me because usually I just Iām fine, I got this. She showed up with baskets of food, medicine, wine, ice cream and paper products.
š¤Moose Tracks Bullwinkle Spatz has his surgery Tuesday! I know that it is for āhealthā reasons that you should get your dog neutered. But yāall the truth is I cannot have those things hanging around on my furniture! I donāt want to walk behind him and see them swinging. I get that itās a totally weird reason but itās fine!
Attempting the beach today and tomorrow, thank God because my soul needs to breathe!
Much love to my favorite internet gang in all the land!!!
š¤š¤š¤š¤š¤Erin
I really want to talk about the Olympics but unfortunately my heart is on much heavier things. Less than 2 weeks ago, I found out that my cousin, Keri (57) and her husband, Jon (56) were sick with Covid, that his oxygen levels were low and oxygen they had given at home was not helping. The next day his oldest daughter took him to the hospital where they promptly admitted him. They decided then that their mom should go too. Everything changed so quickly at that point. Within a couple of days, they were both on ventilators, fighting for their lives with doctors and nurses trying everything they could do. Keri died on Wednesday morning. The virus had just ravished her body theyāve said. Jon is still hanging on and as of last night, had a fairly uneventful day. Our hearts are broken. I am grieving for Keriās kids (39, 33 and 24) because I know what it is like to lose a mom (with the very real possibility of losing their dad too), grieving for my aunt who has now lost both her children among numerous other losses, grieving myself over the loss of my cousin. It just doesn't seem real. As people of faith, we are praying and trying to keep hope, but Iāll admit I am struggling. It is very reminiscent of my momsās sickness and death, when so many people were praying, are praying, and yet this outcome. I just wanted to see a modern day miracle so badly. Iām not mad at God but I just donāt understand. I know thatās how it just is sometimes and I may never understand some things this side of heaven, but I still hate it.
A couple of ātreasuresā out of it all is that two of the kids at a time have been able to be there with their parents through all of this and I have been able to be with them several days this week, including the one where she passed. A couple of times it was in the parking lot supporting the daughter-in-law and son-in-law who couldnāt go in but also at end of life, I was able to be there and love on them as they made phone calls and cried and still tried to stay strong for their dad. And if there is any good that comes from losing my own mom at a young age, I can be there for them, hear their cries and relate so well. I hate this so much. It is truly devastating to the whole family.
Sidenote: We had to cancel our beach vacation that we were supposed to leave on tomorrow and that is another sadness on top of everything.