Storyteller's Journey

Vintage Photo - Public Domain

Spring Break with My Family

After an extra-long spring break it feels good to be back on my blog. The reason for my hiatus had to do with reconnecting with my family who are based in Arizona. (Thank goodness for the Covid vaccine!) Two of my family members have been battling health issues; it was heart-warming to see them both on the mend.

In the last decade of regular blogging, I've rarely taken much time away from Writ of Whimsy - other than my annual summer break. However, due to the pandemic, it had been fifteen months since seeing my mother, and twenty months since seeing my other family member. After receiving my first dose of the Moderna vaccine (allowing two weeks to make sure I'd be 80% protected), it was a good opportunity to spend quality time with my loved ones.

Since March 2020 I've prided myself with being able to persevere through the challenges the pandemic has foisted upon all of us. It wasn't until I learned of the health issues of my relatives, that I felt myself beginning to waver, and coming to the end of my strength. Being prohibited from travel, dining, etc. is one thing, it's another thing to know your sick loved ones are struggling. 

Thankfully, the time spent in Arizona has rejuvenated my heart and soul.

Seeing my mother look so good, after a two month health struggle (unrelated to Covid 19),  was a relief! Her little Shih Tzu, Teddy, is never far from her side. 😀 

It was most generous of my mom to loan me her brand new car to travel from Mesa to Tucson, so that I could see my son, Kevin.

Speaking of Kevin, here he and I are sharing a lunch in the University District of Tucson. Kevin had relocated to Tucson just prior to the onset of the pandemic. In 2009 he received his Bachelor Degree from ASU in Tempe, so he is accustomed to the warm desert heat. I, on the other hand, am not! It was so good to see him.

When my son, Brian, learned I'd be in Arizona, he and his girlfriend, Caity, decided to fly out from  New York City. (Fortunately, they'd been lucky enough to get fully vaccinated in March.) Since I'd never met Caity, it was a very special time with the two of them at my mother's home. They continued on from Mesa, to also see Kevin in Tucson, and are now enjoying the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona. (They're hoping to visit Michael and me in the Pacific Northwest sometime this summer.)

You might be thinking: I thought this was a blog about writing. 

It is. 

However, I also use it as an online record of my journey as a writer.

What I've realized since the beginning of 2021 is that it's not enough to survive, each of us must thrive - especially as writers, and other creative types. Worrying about my family members, most of whom are many miles away, had taken a toll on my internal peace. I was no longer creating, I was producing. If you're someone who enjoys creating, you know what I mean. It's not what I want to do, or who I want to be. If writing is not fun, I will no longer do it. 

I hope that day never comes.

Wishing you joy and peace, as we slowly integrate back into normal life!