I am now 65 and have lived alone for a number of years. So I started this tradition of inviting fellow "holiday orphans" over for a bang-up home-cooked dinner at Thanksgiving and Christmas, which helped alleviate the heartache, and we had wonderful times. You might be surprised by how many of us "holiday orphans" there are. At my dinners, there is only one rule: do not mention why you are a holiday orphan . Because it absolutely does not matter. And we have a blast. I set a very pretty table with my French great-grandmother's ironed and starched table linens and gigantic napkins, my heirloom French china, crystal and silver, and then I lay out a feast. But we couldn't do that this year. How I look forward to 2021, a new year after this annus horribilis, with that orange-faced monstrosity gone from the White House, sanity restored, and vaccines on the way!
We too have what we call the "strays" over for Christmas every year. My husband and I do not have kids by choice and being a freelance artist most of my life, most of our "strays" are other photographers without family around. We always give them somewhere to go and it is always the best fun. Can't wait to do it next year.... but it was just fine not doing it this year knowing our friends were safe. Here is to 2021 that just has to be better! Merry Christmas!
My heart is with you, so very much. My normal 28 guest list, many single and without family, is down to my dearest 5 this year.
We will put on the Ritz for those who can't attend, and there will be a virtual feast. And although we are all atheists, there will be a prayer that this insanity will come to an end.
By the number of hearts you have received, Silverdare, looks there are many here who can relate to your story. My sister has done the same with creating a "holiday for orphans" since my mother passed back in 1998. Hopefully, we can resume the tradition in 2021.
It is wonderful you all have a tradition of sharing your homes with "non-relatives" over the holidays. It is sad you had to take a break in tradition this year. Hopefully, you will be able resume your tradition next year. Part of my family had an "in-person" Christmas. After dinner and gift giving, we had a Zoom call with "out of state" family members. In addition to being a very "COVID Christmas", it was my great-nephew's first Christmas.This year the family Christmas photo is a screenshot of a Zoom call. At the "in-person" celebration, we shared our versions of family stories. It was fun and in hindsight a little sad that my nieces and nephew were not there to hear the stories. That said here's to better days ahead. I am looking forward to sharing the journey ahead with all of you.
On this Christmas night, I feel an opportunity to reflect on how this ‘richest country in the history of the world’ can have so many citizens who are hungry, homeless, jobless, and in want of basic necessities. I feel it appropriate to question our assumptions, about free market capitalism, corporations, rugged individualism and materialism.
This holiday, so basic to our society, has little to do with the birth of the baby Jesus. May we also question the basic story of our civilization, the magic birth of an infant, said to be the child of God, who lives in the sky and offers salvation after death. But only to humans who believe in this tale.
The two of us are alone as well and feeling grateful to have such a wonderful family that we are looking forward to seeing. One granddaughter spent her Christmas Eve as part of an organ transplant team that helped six people live to see another Christmas. Another granddaughter is an RN in oncology that was able to get her COVID vaccine Wednesday. Our daughter also is an RN working in a clinic. Another daughter is a teacher who has worked overtime keeping in touch with her students and trying to bring the best educational experience possible these days. My son has devoted his time to make sure his 10-year-old daughter not only gets her schoolwork done but also has physical exercise and just good old fun. My daughter-in-law coordinates on-line meetings throughout the world working long hours. So, yes. I am proud of them and all of the people who are making our liveable and survivable right now.
Heather - I am officially "retired" after forty years on the theology faculty here at BC (though invited to return to teach my course "Spirituality and Sexuality" each fall) . I want to share how tremendously grateful I am for the extraordinary dedication and effort you have made "above and beyond" to serve the country by providing an insightful, clear-eyed historically informed perspective on our contemporary crisis period in the national life ( in part by reminding us that we have been down this road as a nation before ). Between your daily analysis and reflections and those of my friend Robert Hubbell in LA, I feel I begin each day clearer and more focused on what is being asked of us who want to serve the best version of our country possible. (about an hour of morning prayer and yoga also helps to maintain sanity and perspective).. THANK YOU ... so proud to be a colleague on faculty with you at this institution., John McDargh
Two of us here, but we drove in to DC to drop presents off for my two grandchildren with a socially distanced meeting in front of the house and in the freezing cold. I also feel blessed in that I am in the sixth week of recovery from heart bypass surgery and doing well. 2021 looks good to me.
I, too, am alone and blessed. I've celebrated my 72nd birthday alone. All of the holidays, alone. But yesterday was a lovely surprise when two Catholic University students delivered a Christmas dinner from the Basilica of the National Shrine for the Immaculate Conception. Later friends and colleagues from my Foggy Bottom West End Village delivered their own beautiful home cooked meal. I have celebratory food for days. I am appreciative of the kindness and generosity.
Unlike pandemics of the past, isolation is easily broken with ZOOM gatherings, video calls with family, and streaming services with excellent entertainment.
The downside for me has been cancer diagnosed just before the pandemic took off. Because of health system demands, my February diagnosis was supposed to have surgery in April. It got postponed to late June. It turned out that I'm too fragile and vulnerable to clots and infection. So, instead of traditional chemotherapy, the metastatic cancer is being treated with pills that have bad side effects. Now, my only outings are for treatment and physical therapy for lymphedema.
I pray that the medical professionals who treat me can stay healthy until vaccinated and aren't overwhelmed treating COVID-19 cases.
You might have figured out that I live in Washington, DC. We're not a state, despite having a population higher than Vermont, Wyoming, and a few other states. We were only given about 6500 vaccine doses to treat the 54,000 medical professionals who work in the District. But guess what? Our small supply didn't go to our medical people. It got commandeered by the government to vaccinate government officials, many of whom could have been vaccinated in their home state. Some are leaving office in a few weeks. Many of these officials and their spouses have down played the pandemic, even calling it a Hoax. Yet they and their family and friends are getting the vaccine first.
DC is really a region. Many work in one location but live in another. So Maryland and Virginia shared some of their much larger and not commandeered vaccine allotment with DC to vaccinate health care workers who may live in their states but work in DC.
DC is also under assault by Trump’s Proud Boys. They've happily donned a uniform of black shirts print with scary code, such as "FOFA." The company from whom they've purchased their yellow plaid kilts has disassociated his firm from them, discontinued the color, and offered replacement with another color or refunds to people who purchased the yellow kilts but are not Proud Boys.
So I pray for recovery and that everyone stay safe in what will be disturbing weeks as Trump is pried from office. Trump has called the Proud Boys to come to DC on January 5th and 20th.
Best wishes to you, Christina, in your treatments. I certainly wish you could recuperate somewhere else—with a view and an ocean!—instead of the seat of chaos!
Christina, many prayers for things to work out for you and for some precious relief. I managed to have surgery in April on my VERY screwed up spine and my surgeon got it scheduled super quick at a surgery centre here before they lost their nurses and PPE to the main medical centre here to treat Covid cases (we're now at many more cases now than in the Spring). For patients needing regular medical attention these times are especially trying. I'm hoping you do have a measure of mobility--mine has been greatly affected, but I'm soldiering on--as I've realised its huge importance. But, with the virus raging like mad right now, maybe it's a blessing to not be able to go anywhere?!? Thank God for contact through electronic means, eh?
What is going on in DC is totally shameful. I expected to see the appearance of vaccines to show us the really tawdry side of human nature in some people. Rather than the vaccine going to the people who most need it (i.e. people at the front lines of this epidemic), the rich and the powerful will do whatever they can to jump the queue. Disgusting. I'm a relatively healthy 67 and expect my turn for the vaccine will come early in the year, or by the Spring. That's fine. I hardly go out anyway and when I do I am N95-masked and armed with wipes and Purell. So far, so good. I'm the primary care-giver for my 97-year-old mum (which has its own set of daunting challenges), so shielding myself from infection is a great concern. (And now, our region of Georgia has the highest infection rate in the state. Scary.) If we can get through the next month or so unscathed it'll be a minor miracle. But for YOU, I do hope there can be some measure of relief and that you can get attention and relief you need. God be with you.
Hi there. I’m sorry you’re so under the weather. I am 63 and I just had a ruptured appendix with gangrene during the time that our computer here or in Vermont at the hospital had been hacked. It was pretty terrifying I have to say. It’s been a really difficult few months and I too cannot get to the doctor for certain things that I need because they’re just not providing those services. I’m sending good energy from my home to yours...And yes DC should be a state. And trump should be removed via the 25th amendment and subpoena should be issued so they don’t start shredding documents
It sounds like you have good friends who care about you - as do many here on this blog. This seems to be a "homesite" for many of us that are a little (?) older, so you should feel right at home here too. I hope you keep reading & commenting here - let us know how you are doing. Take care, Maggie
Christina, please be safe during these coming days of the new year, when several potential threats might develop. May 2021 bring you not only health but vitality, safety, peace, and joy. Let all here and elsewhere also share in these gifts of life. Last, let the current disgrace inhabiting the People's House be purged and the new occupants enter a physically and spiritually cleansed space in which to live and work and do the people's work.
The WH will need a thorough cleaning, physically and spiritually.. the “people” in there now, if you want to call them that, need to have and up close and personal visit with the district attorney from the
SDNY.. And they can drag Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell and all the other sycophants with them.. shame on these people .. but they have no shame.
Christina, I am so very sorry to hear of all your health problems and the worries, delays and impediments that you have faced due to the pandemic and 45's reign of terror. I wish I lived closer and could be of more practical assistance, but know that I am thinking of you and sending you all the strength and comfort I can muster from this distance.
Please talk to us here if it helps you. There are many wonderfully kind-hearted people on HCR's substack. A listening ear cannot cure, but it can be a balm for a pang of pain, exhaustion or depression. Please don't be shy. Kathleen has written below of her setbacks in VT with the pandemic and the entire hospital computer system having been hacked which caused even further delays. It has been such an horrific time for so many of us that there aren't enough hugs to go around, but I am saving some special virtual hugs for you today. May you continue to receive surprise blessings from friends and strangers to reassure you that you are loved.
Virtual hugs here too. Thanks for thinking of me also. At this point I feel lucky to be alive. If you notice Vermont is the only state in the union that is yellow on the Covid map. I worry for everyone in this country.
We are lucky in VT -- our Governor has been an effective leader during this pandemic. So glad that you made it through your dreadful ordeal, Kathleen! It must have been frightful! Virtual hugs are definitely coming your way as well. Be gentle with yourself and be safe.
❤️ We are lucky. But I wouldn’t trust Scott not to fall in with the Republicans should the opportunity present itself. We have a big enough problems here in Vermont I guess. So many people are hungry
Sending greetings of the season to you! I am moved by your pride and intelligence in the reality of so much adversity. I think Trump will gradually deflate and become something of an unpleasant memory but the feelings he encouraged and the behavior he allowed us to emulate if it made us feel good about ourselves are really universals of human behavior. We humans are a strange mix of kindness and cruelty. Warm greetings to you from another HCR follower.
Christina, I am so sorry for your illness and that you have been unable to receive the most aggressive treatment in a timely manner. However, your attitude has demonstrated that you are not embittered by your circumstances, and remain primarily concerned for others. That is remarkable. I hope you are rewarded for your selflessness and kind heart. How ironic that, in D.C., those who curry the favor of a monster by attending large celebrations, maskless, are given preference over dedicated health professionals who can treat people like you. Ghastly!
I am so sorry that you have been dealing with cancer on top of all the other ‘diseases’ that surround you right there in our Capitol ( and the entire country!) You are wise and very strong, so please just hang on ... things will get much better, and soon.
Dear Christina .. My thoughts and prayers are going out to you in Washington.. I was stationed there for three years when serving at Coast Guard HQ before coming to Cambridge MA to do my doctorate at Harvard. I have fond memories of the sense of community I found among folks in the Dupont Circle 'hood. I am so glad that your friends and neighbors and "perfect" strangers from Catholic University have been there for you.. At 72 myself I am grateful to be in good health (not a reward for good behavior I assure you.. but sheer dumb luck dodging the AIDS bullet in the 1980's and an unequally undeserved generous genetic inheritance).. I am glad DC is getting some help from its neighbors in the face of the irresponsibility of executive office holders. . Courage Christina!
Sending prayers and good wishes for your recovery. I hope that the vaccine comes soon to your area and that those who can help you get it quickly. Stay strong.
Christina, I'm sorry that your only available treatment right now are pills that have unpleasant side effects.
With the new administration coming in on the 20th, we all can start to feel more hopeful about expeditious availability of vaccines for those who need them most. That the "hoaxers" are shoving needier people away to get theirs is despicable.
Stay strong. You've got a bunch of people here rooting and praying for you.
We are very blessed at my house. My siblings are safe and my sister who works at children’s hospital got her first shot on Wednesday.
I am also blessed because you have walked with us these last years (I started following you a long time ago.) I’ma better activist because of your work.
Thank you so much. May 2021 bring us some comfort and joy.
Heather, you have been a treasure to this community, and I'm sure your family feels the same, even when you can't be together. My family has been fortunate, too, so far. Your symbolism reminds us that this darkest time of year is really the beginning of new light. No matter how difficult these years have been, at least we know that sanity and stability are about to take hold, and we will be able to mend after the multiple disasters.
Thank you for your clear-sighted perspective and steady ship. It has been invaluable to us.
Thank you, Dr. Cox Richardson. You are so right...We need to count our blessings as we reach out to to help others less fortunate. I’m so grateful for you and this community you have created and nurtured. Hopefully we can continue to pay it forward through the New Year. ❤️
So sorry you can’t be with your loved ones but, glad to know you are keeping safe. I’ve been alone now for 9 months Also to stay safe, but thankfully have my work as a career coach to keep me sane. I am so very grateful to you for all that you have taught us and you will go down in history for it. I long to hold my little grandaughter in my arms again more than I can say. But I read her to sleep every night on FaceTime and our love for each other is still strong. Stay safe. We need your gift.
Kathleen, stay strong. You can do this. You are a career coach, so you know how much people need a strong voice. You got this, keep it up. We will be together again with our grandkids.
When you pick up the pixels again. I wish you would write about how many mail in ballots are being challenged in GA. I work voter protection in Atlanta and have gotten the calls about signature being challenged for the first time in 20 years of voting absentee including the general election just two months ago or ballot being sent to the wrong address even though the photo the person saved has the correct address. So far with only 11 days of voting there are almost 4,000 challenged ballots. The Voter Protection team is fabulous and working hard including going door to door to cure ballots or prefect registrations but this is obviously voter suppression at its finest. Awareness of the nation would be good. Thanks.
I had thought that Brad Raffensperger was principled, and admired his commitment to the fair treatment of all Georgia voters. However, the vicious blowback he has received has proved that, after all, his heart is in being a politician and wants to remain in the political arena. Once he realized that his career was threatened, he bowed to the bullying and reversed course, aiming first to require a "reason" for requesting a mail-in ballot and citing the "danger of abuse" of mail-in ballots. He had previously said there was very little evidence of such. This proves a number of things: first, he is able to compromise his principles when he is personally threatened; second, his claim of being a Christian doesn't extend to everyone's right to vote safely and securely; third, his desire to maintain Republicans' power locally and nationally, regardless of their nefarious tactics; fourth, he is, after all, a Republican. I dearly hope that his political career ends in the dustbin, where it belongs, and I pray that all of our voters who have turned out in droves, braving the pandemic and refusing to be more concerned with holiday preparations, ELECT RAPHAEL WARNOCK AND JON OSSOFF to the Senate, thereby removing the gridlock we've experienced for years.
I will email him today, to rescind my congratulatory message to him when he was acting as Christians are supposed to and standing strong. I'm very disappointed, but not shocked at his retreat. As I said, he is, after all, a Republican.
Secretary Raffensperger, I wrote to you recently, congratulating you on your character and resolve when you complied with repeated, unwarranted, demands of the Trump administration to recount the votes that named Joe Biden the winner of Georgia's general election. I admired your willingness to remove any doubt that Biden had won, while assuring ALL Georgia residents that there had been no voter fraud. You encouraged everyone to utilize mail-in ballots. I admired your dedication to Christian principles in the face of withering criticism of Trump and the right wing.
However, apparently due to the possible threats to your standing in the Republican party, you have backtracked, and reversed your support of absentee ballots unless there is a "valid reason" to vote by mail. The obvious, unstated reason for this reversal is that absentee ballots are mostly utilized by Democrats. You have stated that there is no evidence that voting by mail is any more prone to fraud than in-person voting. That fact, combined with your apparent realization that your political career is threatened, has brought you to an epiphany, and you have abandoned your previous admirable dedication to representing all Georgia voters and, in my opinion, your moral high ground.
I am a Democrat, and I despise Donald Trump for obvious reasons. While Democrats are by nature a fractious group, it is admirable that they don't march in lockstep, as Republicans do. You are a Republican - shame!
I thought it was impossible to verify signatures since the ballots in the inside envelope and the outside envelopes were supposedly separated once the signatures on the outside were officially checked upon arrival. What is the purpose of checking signatures now if they can't (and should not be) matched to the ballots?
There is no point. They rechecked the envelope signatures, knowing that they'd already been verified. It's all political theater, trying to convince people (Republicans) that there's reason to be concerned. Of course, the envelopes give no clue as to how the vote was cast.
Yes, Martha, I've been reading about some of these very things. It is worrying as I expect this Senate runoff may be VERY close, hence the importance of EVERY vote. Even though Kemp and Raffensperger stood fast and stuck to the law in the November election, I still don't trust them to not try and employ some form of voter suppression. They ARE Republican after all, and voter suppression in Georgia is just what they do. God willing, people like you and others (Stacey Abrams, are you listening??) working for voter protection will hold Republicans accountable if (and when?) they try any funny business. BRAVO!
Merry Christmas, feeling blessed to stumble across your letters & chats. You definitely have brought a calming, clear & truthful peace over me during this last year. Thank you for giving so if your time & enthusiasm to tell us truth. Peace to you
Gosh, that brought a tear to my eye. I'm a playwright and journalist so I usually work in isolation, but without the respite of family and friends, this holiday has been especially hard. Then, I think about so many misfortunate folks here in NYC and elsewhere - the family members lost, those without viable income, and those who face eviction. As you say, there is more light coming. We will make it through.
I am now 65 and have lived alone for a number of years. So I started this tradition of inviting fellow "holiday orphans" over for a bang-up home-cooked dinner at Thanksgiving and Christmas, which helped alleviate the heartache, and we had wonderful times. You might be surprised by how many of us "holiday orphans" there are. At my dinners, there is only one rule: do not mention why you are a holiday orphan . Because it absolutely does not matter. And we have a blast. I set a very pretty table with my French great-grandmother's ironed and starched table linens and gigantic napkins, my heirloom French china, crystal and silver, and then I lay out a feast. But we couldn't do that this year. How I look forward to 2021, a new year after this annus horribilis, with that orange-faced monstrosity gone from the White House, sanity restored, and vaccines on the way!
We too have what we call the "strays" over for Christmas every year. My husband and I do not have kids by choice and being a freelance artist most of my life, most of our "strays" are other photographers without family around. We always give them somewhere to go and it is always the best fun. Can't wait to do it next year.... but it was just fine not doing it this year knowing our friends were safe. Here is to 2021 that just has to be better! Merry Christmas!
I love your celebration! 2021 will bring those days back and we will have sane, compassionate people back in the WH and administration!
My heart is with you, so very much. My normal 28 guest list, many single and without family, is down to my dearest 5 this year.
We will put on the Ritz for those who can't attend, and there will be a virtual feast. And although we are all atheists, there will be a prayer that this insanity will come to an end.
I think we will all be putting on the Ritz when this is over. Or at least having a potluck dinner. Remember what those were like?
By the number of hearts you have received, Silverdare, looks there are many here who can relate to your story. My sister has done the same with creating a "holiday for orphans" since my mother passed back in 1998. Hopefully, we can resume the tradition in 2021.
It is wonderful you all have a tradition of sharing your homes with "non-relatives" over the holidays. It is sad you had to take a break in tradition this year. Hopefully, you will be able resume your tradition next year. Part of my family had an "in-person" Christmas. After dinner and gift giving, we had a Zoom call with "out of state" family members. In addition to being a very "COVID Christmas", it was my great-nephew's first Christmas.This year the family Christmas photo is a screenshot of a Zoom call. At the "in-person" celebration, we shared our versions of family stories. It was fun and in hindsight a little sad that my nieces and nephew were not there to hear the stories. That said here's to better days ahead. I am looking forward to sharing the journey ahead with all of you.
Record your reminiscing, then it will be there for future generations.
On this Christmas night, I feel an opportunity to reflect on how this ‘richest country in the history of the world’ can have so many citizens who are hungry, homeless, jobless, and in want of basic necessities. I feel it appropriate to question our assumptions, about free market capitalism, corporations, rugged individualism and materialism.
This holiday, so basic to our society, has little to do with the birth of the baby Jesus. May we also question the basic story of our civilization, the magic birth of an infant, said to be the child of God, who lives in the sky and offers salvation after death. But only to humans who believe in this tale.
The two of us are alone as well and feeling grateful to have such a wonderful family that we are looking forward to seeing. One granddaughter spent her Christmas Eve as part of an organ transplant team that helped six people live to see another Christmas. Another granddaughter is an RN in oncology that was able to get her COVID vaccine Wednesday. Our daughter also is an RN working in a clinic. Another daughter is a teacher who has worked overtime keeping in touch with her students and trying to bring the best educational experience possible these days. My son has devoted his time to make sure his 10-year-old daughter not only gets her schoolwork done but also has physical exercise and just good old fun. My daughter-in-law coordinates on-line meetings throughout the world working long hours. So, yes. I am proud of them and all of the people who are making our liveable and survivable right now.
That is a story I just love! Keep safe!
Essential workers, all...great comment, Catherine!
You have raised a wonderful family- go you! Let's promote more of that in this world.
Heather - I am officially "retired" after forty years on the theology faculty here at BC (though invited to return to teach my course "Spirituality and Sexuality" each fall) . I want to share how tremendously grateful I am for the extraordinary dedication and effort you have made "above and beyond" to serve the country by providing an insightful, clear-eyed historically informed perspective on our contemporary crisis period in the national life ( in part by reminding us that we have been down this road as a nation before ). Between your daily analysis and reflections and those of my friend Robert Hubbell in LA, I feel I begin each day clearer and more focused on what is being asked of us who want to serve the best version of our country possible. (about an hour of morning prayer and yoga also helps to maintain sanity and perspective).. THANK YOU ... so proud to be a colleague on faculty with you at this institution., John McDargh
Two of us here, but we drove in to DC to drop presents off for my two grandchildren with a socially distanced meeting in front of the house and in the freezing cold. I also feel blessed in that I am in the sixth week of recovery from heart bypass surgery and doing well. 2021 looks good to me.
I, too, am alone and blessed. I've celebrated my 72nd birthday alone. All of the holidays, alone. But yesterday was a lovely surprise when two Catholic University students delivered a Christmas dinner from the Basilica of the National Shrine for the Immaculate Conception. Later friends and colleagues from my Foggy Bottom West End Village delivered their own beautiful home cooked meal. I have celebratory food for days. I am appreciative of the kindness and generosity.
Unlike pandemics of the past, isolation is easily broken with ZOOM gatherings, video calls with family, and streaming services with excellent entertainment.
The downside for me has been cancer diagnosed just before the pandemic took off. Because of health system demands, my February diagnosis was supposed to have surgery in April. It got postponed to late June. It turned out that I'm too fragile and vulnerable to clots and infection. So, instead of traditional chemotherapy, the metastatic cancer is being treated with pills that have bad side effects. Now, my only outings are for treatment and physical therapy for lymphedema.
I pray that the medical professionals who treat me can stay healthy until vaccinated and aren't overwhelmed treating COVID-19 cases.
You might have figured out that I live in Washington, DC. We're not a state, despite having a population higher than Vermont, Wyoming, and a few other states. We were only given about 6500 vaccine doses to treat the 54,000 medical professionals who work in the District. But guess what? Our small supply didn't go to our medical people. It got commandeered by the government to vaccinate government officials, many of whom could have been vaccinated in their home state. Some are leaving office in a few weeks. Many of these officials and their spouses have down played the pandemic, even calling it a Hoax. Yet they and their family and friends are getting the vaccine first.
DC is really a region. Many work in one location but live in another. So Maryland and Virginia shared some of their much larger and not commandeered vaccine allotment with DC to vaccinate health care workers who may live in their states but work in DC.
DC is also under assault by Trump’s Proud Boys. They've happily donned a uniform of black shirts print with scary code, such as "FOFA." The company from whom they've purchased their yellow plaid kilts has disassociated his firm from them, discontinued the color, and offered replacement with another color or refunds to people who purchased the yellow kilts but are not Proud Boys.
So I pray for recovery and that everyone stay safe in what will be disturbing weeks as Trump is pried from office. Trump has called the Proud Boys to come to DC on January 5th and 20th.
Best wishes to you, Christina, in your treatments. I certainly wish you could recuperate somewhere else—with a view and an ocean!—instead of the seat of chaos!
Christina, many prayers for things to work out for you and for some precious relief. I managed to have surgery in April on my VERY screwed up spine and my surgeon got it scheduled super quick at a surgery centre here before they lost their nurses and PPE to the main medical centre here to treat Covid cases (we're now at many more cases now than in the Spring). For patients needing regular medical attention these times are especially trying. I'm hoping you do have a measure of mobility--mine has been greatly affected, but I'm soldiering on--as I've realised its huge importance. But, with the virus raging like mad right now, maybe it's a blessing to not be able to go anywhere?!? Thank God for contact through electronic means, eh?
What is going on in DC is totally shameful. I expected to see the appearance of vaccines to show us the really tawdry side of human nature in some people. Rather than the vaccine going to the people who most need it (i.e. people at the front lines of this epidemic), the rich and the powerful will do whatever they can to jump the queue. Disgusting. I'm a relatively healthy 67 and expect my turn for the vaccine will come early in the year, or by the Spring. That's fine. I hardly go out anyway and when I do I am N95-masked and armed with wipes and Purell. So far, so good. I'm the primary care-giver for my 97-year-old mum (which has its own set of daunting challenges), so shielding myself from infection is a great concern. (And now, our region of Georgia has the highest infection rate in the state. Scary.) If we can get through the next month or so unscathed it'll be a minor miracle. But for YOU, I do hope there can be some measure of relief and that you can get attention and relief you need. God be with you.
Bruce, I'm sorry that even after surgery you are having mobility problems. I hope you're not in pain if you're careful about how you move about.
Hi there. I’m sorry you’re so under the weather. I am 63 and I just had a ruptured appendix with gangrene during the time that our computer here or in Vermont at the hospital had been hacked. It was pretty terrifying I have to say. It’s been a really difficult few months and I too cannot get to the doctor for certain things that I need because they’re just not providing those services. I’m sending good energy from my home to yours...And yes DC should be a state. And trump should be removed via the 25th amendment and subpoena should be issued so they don’t start shredding documents
It sounds like you have good friends who care about you - as do many here on this blog. This seems to be a "homesite" for many of us that are a little (?) older, so you should feel right at home here too. I hope you keep reading & commenting here - let us know how you are doing. Take care, Maggie
Christina, please be safe during these coming days of the new year, when several potential threats might develop. May 2021 bring you not only health but vitality, safety, peace, and joy. Let all here and elsewhere also share in these gifts of life. Last, let the current disgrace inhabiting the People's House be purged and the new occupants enter a physically and spiritually cleansed space in which to live and work and do the people's work.
The WH will need a thorough cleaning, physically and spiritually.. the “people” in there now, if you want to call them that, need to have and up close and personal visit with the district attorney from the
SDNY.. And they can drag Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell and all the other sycophants with them.. shame on these people .. but they have no shame.
Christina, I am so very sorry to hear of all your health problems and the worries, delays and impediments that you have faced due to the pandemic and 45's reign of terror. I wish I lived closer and could be of more practical assistance, but know that I am thinking of you and sending you all the strength and comfort I can muster from this distance.
Please talk to us here if it helps you. There are many wonderfully kind-hearted people on HCR's substack. A listening ear cannot cure, but it can be a balm for a pang of pain, exhaustion or depression. Please don't be shy. Kathleen has written below of her setbacks in VT with the pandemic and the entire hospital computer system having been hacked which caused even further delays. It has been such an horrific time for so many of us that there aren't enough hugs to go around, but I am saving some special virtual hugs for you today. May you continue to receive surprise blessings from friends and strangers to reassure you that you are loved.
Virtual hugs here too. Thanks for thinking of me also. At this point I feel lucky to be alive. If you notice Vermont is the only state in the union that is yellow on the Covid map. I worry for everyone in this country.
We are lucky in VT -- our Governor has been an effective leader during this pandemic. So glad that you made it through your dreadful ordeal, Kathleen! It must have been frightful! Virtual hugs are definitely coming your way as well. Be gentle with yourself and be safe.
❤️ We are lucky. But I wouldn’t trust Scott not to fall in with the Republicans should the opportunity present itself. We have a big enough problems here in Vermont I guess. So many people are hungry
Sending greetings of the season to you! I am moved by your pride and intelligence in the reality of so much adversity. I think Trump will gradually deflate and become something of an unpleasant memory but the feelings he encouraged and the behavior he allowed us to emulate if it made us feel good about ourselves are really universals of human behavior. We humans are a strange mix of kindness and cruelty. Warm greetings to you from another HCR follower.
Christina, I am so sorry for your illness and that you have been unable to receive the most aggressive treatment in a timely manner. However, your attitude has demonstrated that you are not embittered by your circumstances, and remain primarily concerned for others. That is remarkable. I hope you are rewarded for your selflessness and kind heart. How ironic that, in D.C., those who curry the favor of a monster by attending large celebrations, maskless, are given preference over dedicated health professionals who can treat people like you. Ghastly!
I am so sorry that you have been dealing with cancer on top of all the other ‘diseases’ that surround you right there in our Capitol ( and the entire country!) You are wise and very strong, so please just hang on ... things will get much better, and soon.
Dear Christina .. My thoughts and prayers are going out to you in Washington.. I was stationed there for three years when serving at Coast Guard HQ before coming to Cambridge MA to do my doctorate at Harvard. I have fond memories of the sense of community I found among folks in the Dupont Circle 'hood. I am so glad that your friends and neighbors and "perfect" strangers from Catholic University have been there for you.. At 72 myself I am grateful to be in good health (not a reward for good behavior I assure you.. but sheer dumb luck dodging the AIDS bullet in the 1980's and an unequally undeserved generous genetic inheritance).. I am glad DC is getting some help from its neighbors in the face of the irresponsibility of executive office holders. . Courage Christina!
Sending prayers and good wishes for your recovery. I hope that the vaccine comes soon to your area and that those who can help you get it quickly. Stay strong.
Praying that your cancer treatment works! 💕
Christina, I'm sorry that your only available treatment right now are pills that have unpleasant side effects.
With the new administration coming in on the 20th, we all can start to feel more hopeful about expeditious availability of vaccines for those who need them most. That the "hoaxers" are shoving needier people away to get theirs is despicable.
Stay strong. You've got a bunch of people here rooting and praying for you.
Thank you for holding up the light. We are standing here with you, in gratitude. Rest well & enjoy🕯💙🕊
Never more aware of gratitude. Shelter. Fed. Safe. That is really all there is.
We are very blessed at my house. My siblings are safe and my sister who works at children’s hospital got her first shot on Wednesday.
I am also blessed because you have walked with us these last years (I started following you a long time ago.) I’ma better activist because of your work.
Thank you so much. May 2021 bring us some comfort and joy.
Heather, you have been a treasure to this community, and I'm sure your family feels the same, even when you can't be together. My family has been fortunate, too, so far. Your symbolism reminds us that this darkest time of year is really the beginning of new light. No matter how difficult these years have been, at least we know that sanity and stability are about to take hold, and we will be able to mend after the multiple disasters.
Thank you for your clear-sighted perspective and steady ship. It has been invaluable to us.
Thank you, Dr. Cox Richardson. You are so right...We need to count our blessings as we reach out to to help others less fortunate. I’m so grateful for you and this community you have created and nurtured. Hopefully we can continue to pay it forward through the New Year. ❤️
Merry Christmas and thank you for all that you’ve done to make sense out of this chaotic, horrific and traumatic journey we are all on.
So sorry you can’t be with your loved ones but, glad to know you are keeping safe. I’ve been alone now for 9 months Also to stay safe, but thankfully have my work as a career coach to keep me sane. I am so very grateful to you for all that you have taught us and you will go down in history for it. I long to hold my little grandaughter in my arms again more than I can say. But I read her to sleep every night on FaceTime and our love for each other is still strong. Stay safe. We need your gift.
Kathleen, stay strong. You can do this. You are a career coach, so you know how much people need a strong voice. You got this, keep it up. We will be together again with our grandkids.
Thank you! Yes I’m working with about 70 clients who have lost their jobs supporting them in their search. It’s good work and I’m glad I can do it.
When you pick up the pixels again. I wish you would write about how many mail in ballots are being challenged in GA. I work voter protection in Atlanta and have gotten the calls about signature being challenged for the first time in 20 years of voting absentee including the general election just two months ago or ballot being sent to the wrong address even though the photo the person saved has the correct address. So far with only 11 days of voting there are almost 4,000 challenged ballots. The Voter Protection team is fabulous and working hard including going door to door to cure ballots or prefect registrations but this is obviously voter suppression at its finest. Awareness of the nation would be good. Thanks.
I had thought that Brad Raffensperger was principled, and admired his commitment to the fair treatment of all Georgia voters. However, the vicious blowback he has received has proved that, after all, his heart is in being a politician and wants to remain in the political arena. Once he realized that his career was threatened, he bowed to the bullying and reversed course, aiming first to require a "reason" for requesting a mail-in ballot and citing the "danger of abuse" of mail-in ballots. He had previously said there was very little evidence of such. This proves a number of things: first, he is able to compromise his principles when he is personally threatened; second, his claim of being a Christian doesn't extend to everyone's right to vote safely and securely; third, his desire to maintain Republicans' power locally and nationally, regardless of their nefarious tactics; fourth, he is, after all, a Republican. I dearly hope that his political career ends in the dustbin, where it belongs, and I pray that all of our voters who have turned out in droves, braving the pandemic and refusing to be more concerned with holiday preparations, ELECT RAPHAEL WARNOCK AND JON OSSOFF to the Senate, thereby removing the gridlock we've experienced for years.
Thanks for the update re Raffensperger, Nancy
I will email him today, to rescind my congratulatory message to him when he was acting as Christians are supposed to and standing strong. I'm very disappointed, but not shocked at his retreat. As I said, he is, after all, a Republican.
Here is my protest:
Secretary Raffensperger, I wrote to you recently, congratulating you on your character and resolve when you complied with repeated, unwarranted, demands of the Trump administration to recount the votes that named Joe Biden the winner of Georgia's general election. I admired your willingness to remove any doubt that Biden had won, while assuring ALL Georgia residents that there had been no voter fraud. You encouraged everyone to utilize mail-in ballots. I admired your dedication to Christian principles in the face of withering criticism of Trump and the right wing.
However, apparently due to the possible threats to your standing in the Republican party, you have backtracked, and reversed your support of absentee ballots unless there is a "valid reason" to vote by mail. The obvious, unstated reason for this reversal is that absentee ballots are mostly utilized by Democrats. You have stated that there is no evidence that voting by mail is any more prone to fraud than in-person voting. That fact, combined with your apparent realization that your political career is threatened, has brought you to an epiphany, and you have abandoned your previous admirable dedication to representing all Georgia voters and, in my opinion, your moral high ground.
I am a Democrat, and I despise Donald Trump for obvious reasons. While Democrats are by nature a fractious group, it is admirable that they don't march in lockstep, as Republicans do. You are a Republican - shame!
Well said, Nancy!
Yes!
I thought it was impossible to verify signatures since the ballots in the inside envelope and the outside envelopes were supposedly separated once the signatures on the outside were officially checked upon arrival. What is the purpose of checking signatures now if they can't (and should not be) matched to the ballots?
There is no point. They rechecked the envelope signatures, knowing that they'd already been verified. It's all political theater, trying to convince people (Republicans) that there's reason to be concerned. Of course, the envelopes give no clue as to how the vote was cast.
Yes, Martha, I've been reading about some of these very things. It is worrying as I expect this Senate runoff may be VERY close, hence the importance of EVERY vote. Even though Kemp and Raffensperger stood fast and stuck to the law in the November election, I still don't trust them to not try and employ some form of voter suppression. They ARE Republican after all, and voter suppression in Georgia is just what they do. God willing, people like you and others (Stacey Abrams, are you listening??) working for voter protection will hold Republicans accountable if (and when?) they try any funny business. BRAVO!
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution...no relief for us election beleaguered Georgians:
https://www.ajc.com/politics/get-ready-georgia-more-election-drama-expected-after-senate-runoffs/QLGVE463RVHKTEVD7ZO3MLS5VY/
That's alarming, but not unexpected. Thanks, Bruce.
Merry Christmas, feeling blessed to stumble across your letters & chats. You definitely have brought a calming, clear & truthful peace over me during this last year. Thank you for giving so if your time & enthusiasm to tell us truth. Peace to you
Gosh, that brought a tear to my eye. I'm a playwright and journalist so I usually work in isolation, but without the respite of family and friends, this holiday has been especially hard. Then, I think about so many misfortunate folks here in NYC and elsewhere - the family members lost, those without viable income, and those who face eviction. As you say, there is more light coming. We will make it through.