The sweetest couple moved in next door to me the year after Mr. Virgo died. They had a little boy and I became Nana Ginny to him. He knew I sometimes slept in my camper, so in the mornings, he would run over and knock on the camper door to say hello before his mama took him to day care.

Last week, his real life grandma was tragically killed in a traffic accident. I have met her several times…enough to know she was a very sweet woman. And I love her kids. It’s very sad.

Then, over the weekend, I learned my brother-in-law’s mom died unexpectedly in her sleep. They had shiva for her Tuesday evening over zoom. It’s been many, many years since I attended a Jewish service. I lived a Jewish life for 27 years and the memories flooded over me. I listened to my sweet B-I-L speak words about his mom and there were so many things I didn’t know about his childhood…sad things. It made me cry.

Later in the evening, I looked online for my friend’s mom’s obituary but when I opened the obit page…there was my sweet friend, Melissa. My heart broke. When Hubby #2 and I moved to the mountains of Colorado after residency, Melissa and her family were neighbors a few doors down. Daughter #1 used to babysit for her children. She was truly one of the sweetest, most genuinely kind women I’ve ever known. After I went through my divorce and opened my needlework shop, I used to meet her and several other gals for coffee every Thursday morning. I hadn’t seen her in a couple years and only learned she had brain cancer a few months ago. It was also Epiphany…twenty-one years sober, twenty-one years since my overdose, my “re-birth day”. 

Then yesterday, all hell broke loose at the capital and we were plugged into that all day. By last night, my brain was buzzing on overload. I don’t even know how to begin talking about what I saw. I’ll process it for a bit then we’ll revisit. Sometimes things come at you so rapid fire, you don’t even have time to process before the next thing comes. I was just crushed by the time I went to bed. I’m hoping today is a bit more peaceful.

Prayers for all who were injured yesterday. And for the family and friends of those who were killed. And for our legislators who went through all that. And for all of us who sat and watched. 

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“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”

Psalms 146:3 NIV