I have a weakness for Twitter, where somebody recently asked, “Do you think crying is a sign of weakness or strength?” I had the strength to answer as follows:
Do you see weakness or strength in my other images for today?
Is admitting mistakes, like today’s Daily Bitch, a sign of weakness or strength?
When I search for “weakness or strength” on YouTube, I find this:
That reminds me that exactly a year ago, the week before lockdown, I was in Times Square in New York, attending a group therapy conference and contracting COVID. Is it weakness or strength to share that with you, here and now?
Actually, I think it’s helpful to think in terms of AND, not OR, so it’s all weakness AND strength.
Many thanks to those who help me share my weakness and strength in this daily blog, including YOU!
Achieve a calm state as you take in my gratitude to all who helped me create this achieve-a-calm-state post, including my wonderful, dog-loving Primary Care doctor Laura Kate Snydman at Tufts Medical Center, Georgia food writer Angela Hansberger, Thelonius Munk, the Daily Bitch Calendar, and YOU.
Yesterday, when I was in an elevator at Tufts Medical Center, overloaded with awareness AND worry about being out and about during the coronavirus pandemic, I saw this:
Even though this blog might have an overload of photos of Dr. Salem, here is another one from my appointment with him yesterday:
During the coronavirus pandemic, frontline health workers like Dr. Salem have to wear an overload of Personal Protective Equipment. Dr. Salem, who has an overload of cardiology students wanting to work with him, told one of them yesterday that he always schedules me for his last appointment of the day because we have an overload of things to talk about. Yesterday’s overloaded conversation included
Dr. Salem’s personal experience of working with Dr. Anthony Fauci (who is “a very smart and very good guy”),
discussions of my having had the coronavirus in March and possible lasting effects of that,
scheduling an echocardiogram to make sure that there is no permanent damage to my heart because of COVID-19,
the possibility of Dr. Salem and I writing a book together,
my stating that Dr. Salem and I have an overload of respect and love for each other,
Dr. Salem saying, “I think you’re doing great,” and
scheduling our next overloaded appointment for the day after my 68th birthday in February.
Dr. Salem said he was interviewed on Boston TV recently about his experiences working with Dr. Fauci, but I can’t find that interview in the overload of videos out there about Dr. Fauci.
Here’s an overload of other photos from yesterday:
Michael overloads our plates with nutritious food, ever day.
Here‘s “Overload” by Zinnia, which has been loaded over 7 million times on YouTube.
I’m looking forward to an overload of comments, below.
As always, I have an overload of gratitude to all, including YOU.
Yesterday, after I published my breaking news post, I discovered I had cold symptoms and a slight fever.
Worried that I might have caught the coronavirus (which no one asked for) during the week-long group therapy conference in NYC, I informed my manager and my doctors. Because of my risk factors (over 60 years old, chronic heart issues), the doctors decided they would test me for the virus if my temperature went above 100.4. Also, because I’ve gotten endocarditis (a dangerous inflammation of the heart which I also never asked for) three times in my life, I usually ask to get tested for that whenever I run a fever.
No one asked for this, but I stayed home from work, watched TV, monitored my temperature, and took photos of more breaking news which nobody asked for.
I also caught up on the Stephen Colbert shows I had missed last week. I took a photo of this …
… thinking “my next blog post will probably be titled ‘No one asked for this.'”
No one asked for the coronavirus outbreak. Also, no one asked for me to run a fever of 100.6 in the evening, which I did.
When I reported my fever to my medical team, they asked me to go to the Emergency Room, another thing I’ve never asked for. I asked if I could finish the delicious salmon dish Michael had cooked for me first.
They asked me to wear a mask to the Emergency Room. Since I didn’t have a mask, they asked me to wear a scarf around my face. I asked Michael to accompany me to the Emergency Room.
They tested me for many things, including the flu and endocarditis. I certainly didn’t ask to be admitted to the hospital overnight, but the Emergency Room doctor didn’t like my oxygen levels.
No one asked for this, but here are more photos from yesterday.
No one asked for this, but they think I might have pneumonia. Whether or not you ask for this, I’ll give you more updates in my next post.
No one asked for my gratitude, but I give it willingly, every day.
What’s the matter with me, that I’ve written three posts (here, here, and here) with the title “What’s wrong with me?” over the last seven years?
What’s the matter with me, that one day after I lost and found my wallet, I dropped a New Yorker tote bag with my marriage certificate while I was walking to work in the extreme cold, even though that marriage certificate matters so much to me?
What’s the matter with me, that I was considering titling this post “What would Freud say?”
What’s the matter with me, that I’m explaining losing track of important things by telling myself that I’m so concentrated on not losing my wedding ring (which is too big) that I’m dropping other things?
What’s the matter with me, that I have SO MANY things to keep track of every day?
What’s the matter with me, that I’m sharing only these photos from yesterday?
What’s the matter with me, that I’m losing track of so many things these days but can still hear this song in my head?
It doesn’t matter that I’m sharing these particular photos today and it doesn’t matter what order they’re in:
It doesn’t matter that when I sang my latest original song yesterday, somebody said, “I tell everybody ‘I don’t know what planet she’s from, but it’s a good one.'”
It doesn’t matter that Michael and I danced to this song last night:
It doesn’t matter what comments you leave or how I express my gratitude to everyone who helps me create these posts, including YOU!
Also, my angel of a nurse, Melanie Marshall (who appears in this post with several other angels) …
… has left Tufts Medical Center, which I found out yesterday at my device check appointment. In case my reading angels want to know whether there was any other disappointment at that appointment, I also found out that my implantable cardiac device has about four more years of life.
You don’t have to be an angel, just be someone who can give. — Patti LaBelle
In heaven an angel is nobody in particular. — George Bernard Shaw
Monsters will always exist. There’s one inside each of us. But an angel lives there, too. There is no more important agenda than figuring out how to slay one and nurture the other. — Jacqueline Novogratz
I do not want to be the angel of any home: I want for myself what I want for other women, absolute equality. After that is secured, then men and women can take turns being angels. — Agnes Macphail
A good teacher who can take the zero pay and help kids develop physically, emotionally, socially, is literally an angel. — Eva Amurri
Books are like a mirror. If an ass looks in, you can’t expect an angel to look out. — B. C. Forbes
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. — Michelangelo
Misfortune is never mournful to the soul that accepts it; for such do always see that every cloud is an angel’s face. — Lydia M. Child
When we are touched by something it’s as if we’re being brushed by an angel’s wings. — Rita Dove
I also noticed this yesterday, regarding a singer-songwriter with an angelic voice:
I am grateful for all the angels in my life, including YOU!
