AUGHHHHH....Fuhgeddaboudit!
Kids test positive, family's in isolation, why not forget this Christmas? Because we're troopers!
Last week I wrote that our annual Christmas party would be salvaged by our sons coming over for dinner and decorating the Christmas tree. There would be the traditional tree-trimming bowls of French onion dip and potato chips and then we’d sit around the table for hours demolishing a ham and black bean casserole. It would be the first time both sons’ wonderful girlfriends would be joining us—our new family all gathered about the dining room table.
Well, a snowball wrecked that plan. I’ll roll it down in bullet points so you experience the full effect:
Our youngest son was told on Friday a friend’s sister had tested positive.
On Saturday morning, my son and his girlfriend, both fully vaccinated, developed sore throats and general body aches. Later in the morning, she tested positive but he was negative. This was back when home kits were available.
Since I was with him on Thursday for about 10 minutes I ran out to our local drugstore that claimed over the phone to have kits. Everyone else in our community seemed to be there for the same reason, creating a long line of freaked-out customers helping each other to become further unglued about the holidays, their kids, the coughing neighbors, etc., etc., etc.
Kits were sold out by the time I got to the counter.
My son texted that he was now positive. I bought a huge bottle of Tylenol and drove back home to make a “Mom’s quick chicken soup” (store bought chicken bone stock, cut up carrots, celery, throw in chunks of chicken breast and a handful of herbs and spices; simmer for awhile—a pale substitute but still effective). The patients texted that they were kind of hungry (good sign) so, equally quick, I made a batch of pancakes, packed up the soup, picked up a large container of orange juice, and drove over to our son’s apartment where we talked through the window. He passed me one of his kits. I tested negative later that day.
Sunday through Wednesday night, began cycling through the five stages of grief. Denial: No reason to cancel holiday plans because everyone’s fully vaccinated and have gotten the booster! Anger: disintegrate into startling inventive graphic cursing and ranting about everyone and everything. Bargain: what about if we all wear masks and open every window in the house?? Depression: the house remained barely decorated, the tree off to the side in the living room—strung with lights (see previous story about my husband’s tree lights obsession) but naked, untouched ornament boxes scattered everywhere. Cancelled several festive friends gatherings. Cancelled plans to drive to Philadelphia and see my sister and brother and, now, terribly missing them. The one measly batch of cookies I’d plan on baking remained unbaked despite taking butter out every morning to soften only to return it to the refrigerator every night. Acceptance: last night a series of pull-yourself-together-woman! ideas popped into my head: invite dear, fully vaccinated and booster-ed, friends over whose families are in other states; pare down dinner to things I can make ahead of time and carry over to our son’s apartment, along with presents and the traditional Christmas poppers; set up the laptop on the side of the table the couple would have sat on; send a Zoom link and, when it’s time for all of us to eat together, we’ll be able to raise our glasses!
So here we are, counting our blessings: the couple’s symptoms are mild and already lessening. Secluded in my son’s somewhat small bedroom together, they have not killed each other (something that would have happened if it was his father and me). My husband is out of the house running errands for the rest of the day (at last! A whole day to myself!!!) and the plan is to finish decorating the house and bake those cookies.
I’ve also been watching this video over and over again—one woman spreading Christmas’s true meaning of joy and generosity! I hope it bucks you up, too. And come back on Saturday where you’ll find another dose of what the world needs—big band music!
Public Service Announcement: It’s important to note that while, yes, this couple still got sick even though they were fully vaccinated, it’s not reasonable to conclude their shots weren’t useful or to give you an excuse not to be vaccinated. The moral of this story is that the illnesses remained mild and of short duration. If my son and his girlfriend had not been vaccinated there would have been no guarantees that we wouldn’t be spending Christmas Eve in a hospital waiting room hoping they’d make it through the night. And that’s not where you want to be right now.
Best video ever!