I thrive on positivity.
However, the connotation of ‘positive’ has been tainted.
And I hope for a negative.
My family and I have been self-quarantining.
My dad was considered an ‘essential’ employee.
So, he continued to commute to work in NYC.
Coughing.
Exhaustion.
Shortness of Breath.
Loss of taste.
Fever.
Low oxygen levels led to a trip to urgent care.
And an ambulance ride to the hospital.
My dad tested positive for COVID-19.
He was hospitalized
For five days.
He was diagnosed with Coronavirus
And bacterial pneumonia.
Now he is in total isolation
In the farthest room of our house.
A tank of oxygen is his only companion
For at least three more weeks.
We are physically distancing ourselves from one another.
We wash our hands constantly,
Wear face masks when close by,
And disinfect as often as possible.
It’s tough.
Living in the same house
But not being able to hug one another.
Living in the same house
But not being able to spend time together.
It’s unfair.
That the one time we’re all home
We have to keep our distance.
That we can’t even eat dinner together anymore
Because then we would be too close.
I crave human connection.
I miss my parents and my sister.
But these are the sacrifices
We have to make to protect our health
And the health of others.
It’s a privilege to be alive.
I’m hopeful we will gain strength,
That the world will be kinder,
And light will outshine darkness.
I thrive on positivity.
But that doesn’t mean that darkness doesn’t exist.
My beautiful and independent great-grandmother
With the purest soul and kindest heart,
Who lived in her own home,
And never drank or smoked a day in her life,
Was hospitalized and tested positive for COVID-19.
She raised three children,
Had seven grandchildren
And eight great-grandchildren.
She died peacefully at 93-years-old.
As much as we love and miss her on Earth,
I find comfort in knowing
That she has been reunited
With her husband and son in heaven.