I am, under normal circumstances, a polite and courteous person. I am concerned and involved in the welfare of others. I enjoy and respect older people and will go visit elderly neighbors, and even other people’s older parents, just so they won’t feel lonely. That was yesterday’s reality. Today, I have diagnosed myself as “COVID […]
Write On, Colorado
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
A confession: I’m tracking my pandemic days. You can count on it.
Pandemic Day 312 I count. Asked how I’m dealing with the pandemic, I rarely admit this truth. That my coping mechanism for things I can’t control is to count. To track. To schedule. Because it sounds a little weird, don’t you think? I remember 30 years ago, crawling into the passenger seat to drive to […]
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
As college ended, I found myself confronting loss — and learning to heal
On Thursday, March 7, I woke up at 6 a.m. snuggled up to my now ex-boyfriend, enveloped in the rise and fall of his chest. One yawn and two eye rubs later, I was dressed in my athleisure uniform and out the door, en route to the University of Colorado Boulder’s main campus. I never […]
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
Coronavirus experiences, however challenging or fulfilling, do not add up to immunity
During COVID, It Doesn’t Matter It doesn’t matter that you showered two days agoand can no longer tie your sweat pantsor your roots are longer than your front yard grassand the toilet paper wasn’t replaced on the empty tubeeven though you bought the huge bonus packor you need vanilla to add to your cookies,the peanut […]
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
I lost my amazing dog during coronavirus, but in my mind his wisdom remains
Grief Said Hey, grief said. Make the bed. Own the hour. Follow the sun, its radiance, reminder to the day, light to open your heart to the silence to the blue, blue sky. My mantra of longing is What would Jackson say or do? A guiding whisper in the middle of the night to take care of your […]
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
Months into coronavirus, I returned to urban nature and once again found hope
“Sequel on the Night Trail” Returning to a scene for longing eyes,our inspiration at once resumed.A midsummer’s walk under majestic night skies,the monster of years now in full bloom. With river calm and weather fair,starlight presiding over water’s gleam,we skipped along the trail with nary a careon a night hike fitting for a dream. Rapidly […]
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
Somehow, by the grace of God, I weathered the most recent coronavirus storm
PANDEMIC STORM Someone sent me a playlist of dance songs this morning. By eight o’clock, with two cups of tea in me, I was dancing around my kitchen and living room, feeling relaxed and free of cares. My dogs watched. “Who is this woman?” It was different from that night last week when I hit […]
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
There’s a term for people like us who can afford to take things in stride: pandemic spoiled
Long ago, our coffee group met at Coffee at the Point after the gym on Saturday morning. We ate egg sandwiches while we fumed about Trump. We still get those Saturday sandwiches. Everything else is different. We go to the café as soon as we get up because there’s no gym, no coffee group and […]
Posted inOpinion, Write On, Colorado
For this coronavirus Christmas, I made a special list from A to Z
This list came pretty easily. At the end of such a bad year, I wanted to give gifts that have meaning, that symbolize something or simply bring a little cheer. Not everything on the list is for others. I added some wishes for myself. And food! There are prayers, too. One thing for sure: […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns, Write On, Colorado
Essay: For Colorado transplants, coronavirus has made the distance from our families unbearable
I’ve lived in Colorado, some 1,700 miles away from my family, for more than a decade now. That means I know to hug my mom and dad and sister a little bit longer than a normal goodbye would warrant before I leave them. You never know what may happen. Eight years as a professional journalist […]