By Joyce Hawkins RN
***Reprinted with permission of dear friend Joyce Hawkins frontline RN working with Covid as she struggled through her own bout with Covid.
Day 9 of the scourge: It is the eve of the end of quarantine. Just one more solitary day to get through. Fittingly, this is the worst I have physically felt through the whole thing. Tired, low grade fever, hacking cough…..sigh. Inevitably, life is full of irony. I was scheduled to get my vaccine 3 days after my positive test. Today I have symptoms at the end of quarantine…..Murphy and I have always danced. Rather than get down about it, I choose laughter. Always.
What else is there? Laugh or cry. And, I am an ugly crier. So, nope. Not an option. I will get thru this as I have gotten through every horrific thing that has ever happened to me. With dark, luscious humor.
I have my days where I want to give up. I have had trials and tribulations that would cause anyone to just quit. And, I have come very close to doing that once or twice in my life. Somehow, God has always put just who or what I need in my path to help me pick myself up and carry on.
In these divisive and troubling times, I would challenge you to think about who and what is important for you to carry on. I always come back to love being the only real answer that matters. Without love, there is no reason to fight or continue. Remember to love yourself. Love each other. Spread love wherever you go. Plant love in the garden of your soul. The human condition is all of us, collectively. We are the captains of our own destiny. In those times when you choose wrong. Get back up and make a different choice. Love is always the answer…..
