Small Joys–The Survivor!

These past few months have been a scary time for many of us. I’ve heard newscasters claim that our nation has never known anything like the onslaught of Covid-19.

Covid-19 is horrible, but we’ve seen worse. The pandemic commonly called the “Spanish Flu” that took place from 1918 through 1920 infected one-third of the world’s population, resulting in an eventual 50 million deaths. In the United States an estimated 675,000 people died. This virus (H1N1) hit young people harder than elders, and most of those who died were ages 15 through 40.

My father-in-law Clifford’s family was terribly impacted. In April 1919, his father died of H1N1. When Clifford was born five months later, the doctor who attended the birth informed the young widow, Gertrude, that her frail baby–the seventh son in the family– would not survive the night.

Many years later, “Grandma Gertrude” told me that she had rocked her new baby all night long, and knowing her I believe she prayed the whole time.

To the doctor’s surprise, Cliff grew strong and lived a healthy life. And, by the way, he beat the odds more than once, surviving two battles in the front lines of France during World War II as a machine gunner, and again surviving the odds to live well into the twenty-first century, in his own home until the last two days of his life. Cracking jokes right to the last day, he died peacefully, October 12, 2018, at age 99.

When I get worried or frightened, I remember that young widow fighting for her new baby’s life, and I remember the very long, very good life her son eventually lived.

Tough times make us strong. Let’s find joy in that!

Blessings, Sue