State of Grace
(It’s the 2020 Holiday Season, and the 1 st anniversary of my beautiful, spirited mother’s passing is fast approaching. For me, the annus horribilis that is 2020 began last mid December, when my siblings and I received “the call” summoning us to drop everything and jump on the next flight to southwestern Florida. My mother had been rushed yet again to the hospital and was “not doing well.” Shortly after her death I began to write of the profound and painful experience as her Medical Proxy, of having to make difficult medical and healthcare choices, of being responsible for life and death decisions of my most important family member. At the time I considered it a burden, a painful and beautiful and awesome but crushing responsibility. In hindsight, after so many months into the coronavirus pandemic, I now understand that as well as an enormous responsibility, it was indeed a privilege. An honor....