From the Desk of Macayla Statler…
I’m sitting in a cute, blue rocking chair in the only free spot in our tiny one-room apartment. My feet are kicked up on the windowsill which, when my computer isn’t on my lap, is now my new “office,” carefully organized with a microphone, notebook, and trusty pen. The window in front of me is streaked with delicate drops of rain racing each other down the glass pane pacman-style, and all I can think is, “man, when it rains, it pours.”
If you’re reading this, you’ve undoubtedly been affected by the mind-blowing effects of COVID-19. Like many, I lost my job when businesses began to close. Soon after, three members of my family were diagnosed with the dreaded virus–my aunt, a sarcoidosis warrior whose lungs were already compromised, one of them. My new husband and I had to cancel a highly anticipated trip home to see my family and visit with my Grandpa who was recovering from a recent heart surgery … and all of this right before an EF-3 tornado ripped through the south, rendering my hometown a virtual warzone, leveling homes, schools, and businesses.
Man, when it rains, it pours.
But like country singer Gary Allan sings, “Every storm runs out of rain.”
Here I am, back at work, grateful, even, for my tiny windowsill office. My family members have been released from the hospital and are home, safe, and doing well. My Grandpa grows stronger every day, and while the destruction back home will take years to rebuild, my family and friend’s lives were spared, and my parent’s home, just a few minutes from the path of the tornado, did not take any damage. It hurts that I can’t be with my family in person, but I am grateful for technology which allows me to email, call, and video-chat with them whenever I want to.
It makes me feel just a little less alone.
Stay tuned for an exciting new program we’re kicking off to help you stay connected to your family during this difficult time, and remember, if you’re out in the rain right now, you might as well keep singing and dancing in it.
-Macayla Statler, MT-BC
