After a great loss at a young age, I assmbled a ‘chosen family’ to fill a void.
In front of me now, mid-pandemic, was my family.
We had just finished dinner, and our attention turned to her daughter, my lifelong friend Kristin.
I hoped that every single one of them would come true.
The one who was there around the clock.
When my own family couldnt give me what I needed, it was these women who did.
…
In other words, I rediscovered what it was like to have a mother.
But the physical separation was an unavoidable reminder of the female and familial loss I had felt decades ago.
Sally dropped off gloves and a questionable-looking baggie of zinc supplements in my mailbox.
Marianne texted almost daily.
And I craved the in-person, in-real-life stability I had always been able to find in Dianes home.
Though I once wouldve turned the knob without thinking twice, things were different now.
Immediately, a response:Sure.
And then,You never have to ask, Nicoleyou know the code.
For decades there had been a one-inch step in that spot.
…
They had it removed years ago, but I had never gotten used to it.
When I arrived back home later, I paused at the door, listening for Daniel.
I found him and my dad in our kitchen, making grilled cheese and warming tomato soup.
my dad asked, putting it in front of me before I could form words to respond.
In front of me now, mid-pandemic and in plain sight, was my family.
In that moment, family was Daniel, my dad, and a simple question: More soup?
In late October, seven months into our new pandemic world, Kevin came to visit.
Daniel was back in his group home, situated 10 miles away from my dads house.
We are as physically distant today as we emotionally were thenbut things feel different.
But when we got there, Daniel wanted to color.
Kevin and I watched, looked at him, then at each other, smiling through our masks.
We took a photo to share with our dad later that night.
When we showed him, he stood silent for a moment.
Then he sighed, smiled, and finally spoke.
You three, together, he said.
Its the best thing Ive seen in months.
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Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
