Covid-19 Positive, Day 270… Five Lessons Learned

“As a man in his last breath drops all he is carrying, each breath is a little death that can set us free.” -Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening

February 1, 2021 marked the 40th day since I first tested Covid-19 positive. At age 67, I had always been the picture of good health — never spending even one day in the hospital, until catching Covid from a close friend, due to her workplace not following distancing protocol last December.

My Covid journey has been full of rude awakenings of which some, as a former smoker of over 20 years, have taken my breath away.

For example, I have needed oxygen to maintain somewhere-near normal functioning breathing. Even with the oxygen, taking a short walk to the bathroom or kitchen sends my heart racing and results in shortness of breath.

So lesson one: I appreciate my breath… it is what separates life and death.

At times over the last 40 days I have felt like a motorist on the side of the freeway broken down… watching the speeding traffic wiz by me. Feeling pretty helpless, yet making the choice to use this “down-time” to reflect upon my life rather than complain. To appreciate all of the good health and blessings enjoyed in life so far.

So lesson two: appreciate good health, it is fragile and can break down or change direction very quickly.

In the Fall of 2020, after being cut back to working half-time, I decided to assemble my first book. Truth is, it is really a collection of ten book reviews of spiritual growth titles by a variety of authors whose transformational writing also inspired me to write a ballad/song for each book as well. I titled it Blissfull Books and Ballads.

My daughter Beth (Bhavani Hope) helped me to professionally record all ten songs in her new recording studio in November and December.

Amazingly, we finished the recording project just before I caught Covid. The CD is currently being mixed and mastered for release on my birthday, 2.22.21. (free book pdf and sample songs posted at www.blissfull.org )

So lesson three: Out of seemingly tragic circumstances something new and uplifting can emerge.