Strength.

I recently learned about the passing of a high school classmate who had been given the death sentence of Covid 19.

She passed away, way, before her time.

A girl whose story haunts me.

She was an acquaintance.

Let's get that straight.

I hadn't spoken to her in years directly.

Facebook was the only reason I knew what she was up to at any given moment.

But nonetheless.

Someone I knew.

Another person whose life had been rocked by this dumb ass pandemic.

Covid.

Covid Motherfucking 19.

Man.

That Word Leaves Me Sore.

It's one that hurts me.

It is one that makes me hate masks.

Mandates.

Loss.

It brings back so many memories and hurt.

It is one that killed my Mother.

But, this new Covid story, found me absolutely devastated.

I was recently contacted, and told about an old acquaintance passing away.

The story didn't escape me quickly.

So I what I DID do, was read up on it.

And what I read was even worse, as far as I could piece it together, than what I had imagined.

I knew she was YOUNGER than me.

Here was a woman not even yet 40, who went to have her FOURTH child at a hospital.

And, upon her admittance, got a covid diagnosis.

And motherfucking hell, she ended up bringing a beautiful child into the world, at the price of her own life.

It almost seemed like a story out of the pioneer days.

She gave birth to a beautiful little girl.

Then her covid diagnosis took over.

Taking over her body, and sending a father home with a new baby, but without his wife, and the mother of his childREN.

We are ALL tough as nails, until I suppose God? realizes we have taught all our lessons? Served our purpose? Lived the life we were meant to?

Or perhaps, learned our lessons?

Either Way, LOVE ALL.

We ALL should.

We have to.

We will all expire.

We ALL HAVE A DATE.

People come into our lives to teach us.

Weird thing is, most never know they are doing it.

Even weirder?

We have no idea we are being taught.

But here's the fucking hardest part.

Answering the eternal question.

How do we live without a person we really love?

That is really the truest test of who we are.

Shows what we are made of.

And how we respond to this new role of "griever", is also a good indicator of how we will survive without them.

Most love lessons don't come this soon.

Here is a father.

Raising 4 kids.

By himself.

Loving his kids mother, and showing his children this.

Even though she isn't there.

Even though her youngest will have no memory of her.

It's a most Shakespearean tragedy.

What truly brought it home for me was his updates for the past nearly 2 years, on HER FB page, letting her know what he is doing with THEIR babies, which brings tears to my eyes as I type this.

He is not only keeping her memory alive.

He is including her.

So I am NOT writing this as something to make you sad.

What it is, is love, in it's truest form.

So,

I write this, to remind you, love your life.

Love what you have.

Love your people.

Enjoy it.

Smile.

Laugh.

Life is

SHORT.

Sometimes WAY too short.

Live Big.

Live Loud.

Make People Miss You.

Make yourself lovable enough to have people miss and love you.

Xoxo,

C.

`