Hi, it’s been a while.
The last time I posted, I shared an ebook I wrote in 2019 but never published. I made some updates to it, particularly because I wanted to add a section about COVID, and finally published it with a sense of urgency last month.
The sense of urgency came from the fact that the book is about creating a thriving Meetup group (or any community that organizes online but meets offline), and I happened to have bagged a job at Meetup as a Sr. Customer Success Manager. While I am happy to share my experiences with others in my professional capacity (and indeed, that’s part of how I got the job), I wanted to maintain my ownership of the intellectual property in the book; so I published it right before starting as a Meetup employee.
All this to say, starting my new job has contributed to my blogging hiatus.
But something else that has contributed to it, too: I got COVID.
Yes, readers, after dodging that spiky little fucker for over three years, it got me.
For me, it felt like a severe cold with flu-like body aches. It was not fun. I was laid up in bed or on the couch for over a week. (You guys. I watched so much television. I’ll have to post separately about all the content I watched. This post contains a hint about one of the shows I binged; brownie points if you can find it.)
The second I tested positive, Richie sprang into action to cordon himself off from the areas where I was…well, being gross. We opened windows, masked up, and armed ourselves with personal cans of Lysol. He also sprang into action to try and make me feel better, constantly offering refills, blankets, doggy entertainment, etc.
What he couldn’t do, though, was pick up anything from the store, because he doesn’t drive due to having low vision (and not wanting to put others on the road in danger). And it was pouring the entire time I was incapacitated, so he couldn’t really walk to the store, either.
In the past, I’ve written about being specific when asking for help. This was great practice. We had to cancel an outing with some friends, and asked if they would deliver masks instead. Another friend reached out to ask if I needed anything and I knew exactly what to ask for (popsicles). And when another friend found out that Richie had a work trip, he offered him a ride to the airport without hesitation.
Being a care partner to someone who is quite independent isn’t that hard, but when I temporarily lost my independence, that’s when things got challenging. Fortunately, I was able to rely on friends and delivery services when I had to.
My experience was a stark reminder of the importance of having a support network for when the going gets tough; and unfortunately, the lack of support caregivers have available in general—not just when they’re in need of care themselves.
I usually end these things with a call to action or a question, so I think a fitting one for this post is: Take care of yourself, and each other. (RIP Jerry.) Thanks for reading.