Angel of the Pandemic: Dear Lord, I am Tired
I was very fortunate during the pandemic to not be in the position of losing employment fully nor losing a close family member to this disease. But like everyone, I did not come through unscathed. In March 2020, I was working as a nurse in clinical research. Everyone in healthcare was seriously stressed during that time. Literally on the day of the announcement that our healthcare system was "shutting down" to all care but emergencies, I tore my meniscus. I didn't know that at the time, because other than hearing a loud pop and collapsing to the floor, I couldn't get any medical care. Luckily, we were allowed to work from home, so I lay on my couch until I could hobble again. It took 3 months before I could get it imaged, and another month before surgery. So, why turn to art during this time? We were mandated to take two days of vacation days each week to save the company money, so I had extra time, and I was hobbled. The sheer emotions that swirled around the world and our community were incredibly chaotic. I knew I wanted to create, but would the art reflect anger, despair, hurt, or hope?
This piece reflects the despair and exhaustion that I think everyone was experiencing at the time. Many of us were praying, but I began thinking that perhaps even the angels were weeping.
