An Awakening

Guest Author, Andrea Miller

Relationships renewed, some formed and some cemented. A time like no other when we stare down the reality of death and when humanity steps in. A time like no other, when loneliness sets in and a craving to belong, a craving to connect blossoms. And we reach out. A text to say hello, a call to check in, a tweet #staysafe. And as days turn into weeks, the craving ramps up for social contact. We go clubbing with DJ D-Nice, watch live comedies, see an Elton John and Friends concert, all from the comfort of our homes. And then we turn those into parties and invite others, who invite others and we do them on platforms like Zoom.us, a video conference website - a new favorite that has brought friends, families, and strangers together, and out of that, a revitalization of humanity with a shared construct to lift each other up.

We were all hurting, whether financially or out of fear and loneliness. My family was no different. We were on lockdown and immobilized by fear with news of cases and deaths from Covid-19. And it became real to us when our own Heather was struck with the deadly disease. We spent 14 days caring for her remotely. Her daughter Jo-Ann, with no medical training, played virtual doctor; cousin Maxine would do what we call a “drop and dash.” She would pick up groceries, drop them off at Heather’s door and dash back home to the confines of her home. Heather’s siblings in Canada, Jamaica, New Jersey, New York, and Florida checked in on her daily and so did her friends. Heather slayed the Covid-19 dragon and it called for a celebration. A celebration of life.

With a text to my siblings and a link to join Zoom, we had about 30 relatives on that first Friday, April 3, 2020. Family members I did not know, cousins I have long seen, nieces and nephews, young and old came together that night. The celebration morphed into a family reunion. And every week since, we have continued to meet, to play games, perform a one-woman skit, a Good Friday service, and seminars on mental and financial wellness to artsy endeavors like Origami and Sip-n-Paint.

Zoom has become our lifeline and way of life. Three weeks ago, I sent a bread recipe to my daughters Deandra and Brianna and suggested we bake it together. Deandra lives in Ohio, Brianna in Illinois and I in Florida. And yes, we baked while zooming and we stepped it up with glasses of wine! It was so much fun and it galvanized our relationship from a once a week call and text to us seeing each other twice a week, with phone calls and text interspersed. Time and technology have afforded us special moments and opportunities.

Let’s ride this wave, let’s continue to connect and build. Out of this experience, we have renewed, formed, and cemented relationships. Our very existence and our link to each other have been memorialized in our first Family Tree.

I feel so blessed by this experience. By this awakening.