It started with one simple text… “It’s been a hard days night…” And then a photo was posted on the family thread of Chelita, my sister’s chihuahua lying in the grass.
I thought she was DEAD! She’s 16 years old and she was lying dead in the grass!
I started SOBBING! I was heartbroken! Our mother had passed away earlier this year and this was her dog and I thought she’d finally gone.
I called my daughter and sobbed on the phone that Chellie was gone! I was inconsolable. My daughter, bless her heart, tried to console me over the phone and after a few minutes I said I needed to call my sister to see how she was. Now, remember, I’m SOBBING! And understand, it’s been a long, isolated month and the quarantine has left emotions somewhat raw.
I dialed, the phone rang and my sister answered. And it wasn’t a heartbroken, the world is lost “Hi.” It was a quite chipper, “Oh, Hi!” A little voice in the back of my head said, “That’s not the right kind of ‘Hi.'” I sobbed, “Is Chelita okay?” My sister responded, “Yeah, Ohhhh.” She then said that Chelita was fine and that she liked to go outside and take a nap in the grass now that the sun was out. My sister did admit after a minute that she wondered, when posting the picture, whether anyone in the family might think Chellie looked dead…
Well, I did! I was still sobbing as we laughed about the mix-up. In the meantime, the rest of the family is asking what happened via text and I responded that Chellie was fine.
One of my sisters had texted that she didn’t think Chellie’s death would be reported with a Beatles song. It then dawned on me… That’s what the text meant! It had never crossed my mind that she was referencing a Beatles song with her text. For some reason, I read it’s been a hard night, and that was her way of telling us that Chellie had passed… along with the photo of the dog lying in the grass… on her side… like she’s dead!
Again, remember. It’s been a long, hard month of isolation, separation from friends and family and I was… somewhat emotionally raw. I’d spent the last week by myself, not going anywhere and I was worn down.
And then she posted that picture…
I called my daughter back and tried to laugh about it, but I was still somewhat teary eyed. A nerve had been touched and tears were still flowing. She invited me over and I said I needed to see their dog, Taco, and my grandkids… in that order, mind you.
I’ve been going over to my daughter’s house every few days during the quarantine. They’ve worked to maintain physical distancing and a clean environment and they were family, so I have had no issues with going over. I don’t socialize otherwise and we have meals together and I come home. It’s kept me sane and provided some emotional stability.
This week, though, for some reason, I stayed home, isolating myself, not really talking to anyone, not really doing anything, feeling anything, and everything fell apart… when my sister posted that picture.
I went to my daughter’s house. I played with Taco. I hugged my grandkids. My daughter’s sister-in-law and her family came over and we had dinner together. Yes, social distancing was set aside for family for the evening.
And then the neighbor across the street set up an outdoor movie screen and we, along with three other families, sitting in their yards and driveways, maintaining physical distancing, sat outside, in the beautiful evening and watched a movie for the kids, “Spies in Disguise.”
And for a moment, all was right with the world. Chellie was still alive. My family was happy. I was happy, again. It was a good night.
I heard this song a few nights ago and it hooked me. Looked it up and thought it felt right to share here. It’s an ode to days gone by, to good times. Listening to it now, I think of mom and dad back at home, we’re all sitting in the front yard with grandbabies and dogs running around. We’re sitting and talking and enjoying the evening. There were hints of that tonight as we sat outside, grandkids running around. I love those old memories as I am making new memories in these times.
It was a good night.
All Things Elda 