My Life Lately (life update)

Things have been pretty insane these past couple of months. I'm not only talking about the pandemic, but a lot in my own personal life. A ton has happened. I had a bunch of highs, and probably more lows. 

It really feels like 2020 has only just begun. Then again, it feels like it's been dragging on for longer than it has really been.

In early March, my brothers and I lost the last grandparent figure in our lives. My mother's uncle was truly a grandfather to us. He never married or had children, but loved his sister's (my grandmother) children as though they were his own. We were hit really hard and could hardly believe he was gone. My family and I were called to be at the hospital with him before he passed. We sat there for many hours with each other. 

That was easily one of the hardest weeks of my life. The day before the funeral, my dad and I received our long awaited kidney transplant surgery date. In case you didn't know, I am going to be a living transplant donor. There will be more on that in a post to come. We had been waiting a LONG time. April 8th was the date given to us. I was so happy. I was going to finally be past a HUGE obstacle in my life.

It was a very short lived excitement. 3 days after receiving the surgery date, we were told that the hospital was cancelling all "elective" surgeries due to the escalating COVID-19 crisis.

I was already grieving and had a new thing to be sad about. It was... A lot. Within 7 days, we had lost a family member, were given a surgery date, and had the date ripped from our fingers.

All of this stems from God's love for me. Knowing that has been a source of great comfort for me. I am being given many opportunities to grow lately. 

There have been a lot of decisions around me too. The decision to sell my uncle's condo being one of them. We have been packing up his belongings, cleaning, and repairing for a month now. Going through his things was heartbreaking. We still have a TON of work to do, but hey, we're getting there. I've been moving heavy furniture, scrubbing cabinets, packing, removing wallpaper, and so many more other tasks.

Two out of three of my beloved Joni and Friends Family Retreats have been cancelled due to the pandemic. I have cried quite a bit about this. If you know me well, you know how much these retreats mean to me. It breaks my heart, but cancelling the events protects many people. I am praying that the third will be unaffected and that this pandemic ends soon.

Easter was a really rough day for me. Because of the shelter in place orders, I wasn't able to see my extended family. Not only that, but it was the first Easter without my great uncle. Growing up, I heard him say "He is Risen!" every single Sunday. Seeing it all over social media, was a gut punch every single time. It was a constant reminder that he wasn't with us. 

I can't say I've been social distancing perfectly, but I've been doing pretty well. I saw a friend a few weeks ago and it was so nice to be able to laugh and talk in person. We laughed about some weird stuff. "NO CRACKER" constantly being yelled. It was all a big help mentally. With modern tech, I've been able to call, text, message, and video chat with a few friends. I miss seeing them in person, but I'll take what I can get. 

I think the biggest thing I am missing though, is worshipping with other believers. I really miss it. There has been constant music playing around me to try and supplement it.

I'm realizing more and more what I'm missing. Realizing that the thing I thought I'd miss, I don't. Quarantine is strange, but I'm thankful for it. It has given me a perspective I thought I'd never have.

Until next time,

Katherine Simeon