By AMY SHANKLAND
Sandwiched
Every once in a while, a columnist like myself writes a piece that is filled with odds and ends. We just have one of those weeks where we have multiple things to share that don’t require a ton of words. So here are three:
The Kindness of Others
After last week’s column, people reached out to me on Facebook to see how my husband was doing and to say they hoped I’d stay healthy. Too late … like a bazillion other people, I came down with COVID-19.
Thanks to wonderful things like grocery store curbside pickup and food delivery (thank goodness) we weren’t going to starve, and neither were our pets.
I was overwhelmed with how many friends and family members checked in on us. The outpouring of concern, prayers, and love warmed my heart and helped make being sick a little easier. The common message was, “If you need anything you just let me know.”
Despite reassurances from me that we were okay, a certain fellow columnist and friend was especially eager to help us – let’s just say she has a big “hart.” I grinned when I texted how comforting chicken noodle soup was to me whenever I feel ill. The next day, our angel with a big “hart” dropped off bread along with homemade soup and banana pudding. Pure heaven.
A few days later, another angel surprised me with HotBox Pizza breadsticks and dipping sauce.
Y’all, thank you for such kindness. John and I are doing much better, and we know now more than ever just how much good there is in the world.
Mom
All the above meant it would be even longer before I’d see Mom. Thankfully, her hospice nurse, music therapist, and Communion minister have all been giving me reports on how she is doing. Mom’s fine, and I hope to see her on a Zoom call soon through her facility.
Squeaky Nose
I returned to work “for real” last Monday morning. This meant I was sitting at my desk in my home office with actual clothes on vs. sweats or pajamas. And things started off badly. A funder that my partner and one of our big clients had been working with for months wrote to say that they wouldn’t be accepting a grant application from us after all. I’m used to rejection, but that one stung.
I was just about ready to chuck my laptop out the window when I sighed and said a prayer. God, help me turn this day around. I grabbed a tissue to blow my nose for what seemed like the 500th time … and promptly heard “SQUEAK!”
Yes, Readers, you are now privy to one of my deepest, darkest secrets. Whenever I have a runny nose, I typically enter into what my family calls Nose Squeak Time. As soon as I heard this last Monday, I started laughing – I’m talking big-time belly laughing. Suddenly, life didn’t seem so bad. Once again, He had answered my prayer in an unexpected way!