It is known as the Wand of Worry, and accompanies every childbirth.
It is seldom recognized until the young Mother returns home believing in all innocence she is only carrying an infant. Quietly, insidiously, the wand was injected into her bloodstream with the infant’s first cry.
It is rarely welcomed. I certainly never embraced mine. Still it became stronger and I now recognize heavier when each of the Fabulous Four joined our complicated family.
Find out what's happening in Massapequafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
It has been with me now for 67 years, and mostly, unacknowledged as a vital part of my admittedly complex persona. Yet now that I am threatened with its loss, I feel sad, and yes, also a bit rebellious.
Because it belongs to me, and I believe to my utter surprise I may need it.
Find out what's happening in Massapequafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
There have been many offshoots of the Covid crisis. Elder care facilities have definitely fallen into the valley of vulnerability. Regardless of the different titles they were given at inception, Adult Residences, Senior Club Living, etc., are physical refuges for the elder generation. Consequently, the dangers of contamination among the more senior of citizens became quickly apparent in 2020.
No longer were the facilities viewed under the serene umbrella of independent living. but more realistically as wellness or nursing homes. .As figures mounted, the majority of all these facilities became virtual quarantines or lockdowns for those in residence. Soon that need was realistically accepted by those who abided within even the mostly luxurious abodes.
However, as the time has gone on, far longer than anticipated, there are other subtle losses. One has been the silent transfer of the wand of worry from isolated parents to their younger generation. I am aware it has been done gently with kindness, yet still I feel the loss. It remains our parental domain, despite age, lockdown and yes, myriad infirmities.
Please do not take this vital part of our relationship away. Allow your older generation to maintain (despite distance) the image of strength, pretense of wisdom, and yes, slight invasion of lifestyle with our far flung and isolated families.
When we say, “I am worried about you,” despite our physical removal from your world, the wand carries us across miles and mountains and merely whispers, “We still love you.”
