Well, we just had our second Covid-Easter, but this one was more hopeful, right? It’s hard to believe that in a little over a year, we’d have a vaccine for this thing. (Three, actually, last I heard.) And more good news: Charlie and me are over halfway to being fully vaccinated. We get our second shot this Friday, and then two weeks later…well, I don’t know exactly what happens. I guess you could say we’ll be baked and ready to come out of the oven, gas gauges on full, our force fields up and lasers set to “stun!” Take that Covid-19!
The regulations have changed some down to Mahoosuc Green, so yesterday Charlie and me went for a short visit with Dad. We still have to wear masks, of course, and couldn’t eat with him, but we can now hug Dad and sit close to him and hold his hand. Wow!
A week ago, I had my first such visit. Dad was already sitting at a small table in the dining room when I arrived. I went through the screening process and temperature taking, then I walked up to dad, wrapped my arms around him and sobbed like a baby. I mean, I was a mess. I realized at that moment that I when this whole thing began, I thought there might be a chance that I’d never get to hug my dad again. I must have cried for a good couple of minutes without stopping. He put his arms around me, “It’s okay, honey.” My dad hasn’t comforted me in a long, long time, and that made me cry even more.
Once I settled down, I sat and held both his hands for the whole visit, which was about an hour. Our conversation wasn’t all that much better than it usually is, but the visit itself was far and away better than our previous, socially-distanced ones. You know, where we’re at either end of this big, honking table, yelling at each other. Nope, don’t miss that.
Until now, all visits were during the week, so Charlie hasn’t been able to see dad in ages. When they said we could visit on Easter, we jumped at the chance. It was nice to be able to actually spend a holiday with Dad. That hasn’t happened since this whole thing began.
We could have taken Dad out, but neither of us are comfortable with that. The last time I took him outside Mahoosuc Green was right before lockdown. I had to take him to the dentist. Oh, boy, I swore I wouldn’t do
that again. Just too stressful.
Anyhoo, we did the next best thing: visiting dad with hugs and holding hands. Then, home to a ham dinner, just the two of us. When you throw in bacon for breakfast and leftover ham for supper, it was a triple pork day. Hard to beat that!
Here’s hoping that by Memorial Day, we’ll be outside celebrating the holiday all with our vaccinated friends. Won’t that be fun?
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: The Hug