Dear Readers,
Recently I asked for your prayers for my brother John, who had been diagnosed with Covid on August 10th. I thank you for all of your care, prayers, and support.
Sadly, my dear brother John passed away from complications of Covid on August 31, just a few days after his 70th Birthday. We are devastated, especially since we just lost our only other brother, Mike,74, on July 27, only a couple weeks after a devastating fall. As I mentioned in a post recently, earlier this year I also lost my brother-in-law Jack (from M.S.) and a wonderful friend, Mary (from recurrent cancer). This has been a hellish year.
I’m sure you’ll understand why I haven’t posted for a while, but I truly appreciate your continued patronage and friendship through this site. I have been working on a fun Trek article about props, but I probably won’t get back to it for a little while, as you can imagine.
At the moment I’m still processing John’s passing, and it is hell. Michael’s passing was bad enough but somehow easier to take since he had been in the ICU for nearly two weeks. But John. The hell of it was that we couldn’t visit him in the Covid ward, and because every day he was fighting so hard just to breathe, that it was even difficult for him to talk on the phone for long, and was so weak to even text. We were able to relay to him our love not long before he passed, and he related to my remaining 4 sisters and I that he loved us too. I cannot imagine life without him, he was such a loving and helpful man; always there for us. We are broken.
My brother John was so funny and loving. At 10 years older than I, he used to torment me as a kid, like most big brothers, but he loved me and all of us dearly. (For years I’d cringe when he’d enter a room in case he’d give me a Vulcan Nerve pinch – complete with whistled sound effect!) He was a magnificent artist with pen and ink, loved car racing, motorcycles and Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. Of course he liked Trek too, it was his poster of Mr. Spock on his bedroom wall that first fascinated me with the character. He never owned a car that didn’t need body work, and he loved his cats.
The worst part of this whole event was that it was avoidable. Sadly, John wouldn’t get the vaccination, even though the rest of us had all had our shots, and had urged him to get it. Tragically, he had been taken in by misinformation and baseless conspiracy theories. In the end, he realized he realized he was wrong to have not gotten it, and regretted that he was a denier. He relayed a heartfelt apology to us. I can only take comfort that he is with our brother Mike and sister Maggie, and our Mom and Dad and all his beloved friends and family who went before him.
I can only urge anyone out there who feels that they are impervious to any current or future strain of Covid that they must take this seriously. Covid does not care about your race, nationality, sex, politics or age, it only knows it can kill you. Our only defense is masking, social distancing and most of all getting vaccinated. The more of us who are vaccinated, the better the chance we can stop the next, worse, variant in its tracks. Otherwise the variants will get worse, and we cannot afford that, not in America, not in the whole world.
If I lose a few readers here for my stance here, that’s your choice. But because I love you all, I urge you to please take care and get vaccinated. I don’t want this to happen to you. Too many families have suffered losses from this preventable, frightening virus. I never thought that my family would become another statistic, but here it is.
Thank you, I’ll be back soon <3
Here is a photo of my two brothers taken in 2009. John (left) and Michael. My heart will ache forever.
I think that no words I can say will act as a balm for your terrible, horrible situation, Except to say, May their memory be for a blessing. Please know that there are people out there praying for you to have peace of mind and I am one of them. I am sure you did everything you could to help each of your brothers. And I am sure they knew that you loved them.
Thank You Heleen, and Bless you <3
So very sorry to hear that you have lost so many loved ones so quickly. Covid is a cruel disease that steals time and love away from all of us. I hope the coming days are a little brighter for you. Stay well.
Thank you Andi <3 I always say no matter how bad your life is, someone is having it worse. At least my brothers are out of pain. <3
Therese my heart aches for you, wow this is so sad. I know that the pain will ease, over time. I think your brothers will be with you, always. The memories will last forever. It’s so sad that your brother did not get the vaccine, I read an article, recently, about a man who did the same thing, only he was going to get the shot, but felt he had time and didn’t get it and ended up getting Covid, I have not heard if he is okay, in the article he was in the hospital very sick.
No one had to tell me twice when it was my turn to get the vaccine, I couldn’t wait to get it and am glad I am fully vaxxed. when the booster comes I will be there for that too. I just don’t understand why anyone who can get the shot won’t (also why so many won’t wear a mask,either)
My deepest condolences to you. Take your time with the blog, we’ll be here waiting
Love and hugs
Thank you dear Linda. Your message was a good warm hug. <3
“Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as ravens’ claws” — James Douglas Morrison
Thank you for this <3
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I’m new to your group, and was scrolling through when I saw this sad post.
I was laid off due to Covid, then GM decided we could go back to work so long as certain things were done. So, we wore masks, social distanced, and work surfaces were cleaned after each shift.
COVID shots were offered by the company. A lot of us took advantage of that, because we believed the CDC, WHO, and the scientists who had researched viruses and epidemics and pharmacology. We believed them over a president who advised we use household cleaners, chemicals, animal dewormer, or other equally ignorant “preventatives” for COVID.
Unfortunately, I had friends and some coworkers who fell for all that, and refused to wear masks or be vaccinated. No surprise, a lot of them got covid, but fortunately, didn’t die. Most of them were hospitalized, but only a few ended up on ventilators, and they miraculously survived. Unfortunately, I know many people who had relatives and friends who died of covid. Not all of the people I know if, who got covid, had NO preexisting conditions that would’ve made them susceptible to covid. They were pretty healthy people who just got it.
I’m so sorry you lost family to covid, and so sorry your one relative would not get vaccinated. You must remember, that’s a decision he took, despite the information that was out there.
I hope this fall, people get their boosters and flu shots. Remember, a good case of flu can make you use up all your sick days, can make you feel like a truck has just backed over you, or, can lead to pneumonia. And, believe it or not, you’ll feel worse with pneumonia!
So, get vaccinated, if only so you don’t waste your sick days, if only so you don’t end up spending 2-7 days, feeling like a Klingon has used you for a punching bag.