A SOAP OPERA IN THE TIME OF COVID
As a widow, I have sometimes looked longingly at those words, posted from widows. “In a Relationship.” It seems so joyful! I fell in love in 1969. The bloom of first love is now over fifty years gone. So is my love. It will be eleven years, this year. It doesn’t seem possible.
I see people posting their anniversaries. I want to, also! We didn’t divorce. He died. I see people posting a photo of their spouse and putting how many years they’ve been married. Not only that, but they post NEW PHOTOS that they took of their spouse. I have none. That’s why, when people share photos of your departed spouse, it means so much to you. It’s like getting a new photo of them, something that never happens.
This morning, as I did my devotionals, I came across a showstopper, an AHA moment. It was in Jesus Always. It hit me right between the eyes. In this devotional, Jesus said that a happily married couple are connected by more than law and morality. He said that they have WARM MEMORIES OF SHARED EXPERIENCES. These memories draw them close, and keep them committed to each other. I never thought of it that way, but I knew it was true. Nothing has the power to hurt me like my memories. He isn’t here to reminisce with. In this devotion, Jesus said that he is totally committed to ME! He said he will fill my heart with loving memories!
When Larry died, I would look at photos and listen to music that I enjoyed before I knew Larry. I told myself that I had been happy before him, so I could be happy after him! Another thing I have done is, when I feel low, I will look over all the photos I have taken since he left. There is so much joy in those memories taken after Larry left! Trips! New grand babies! Holidays! So NOW, I am letting these after Larry memories be memories of me and my forever love, Jesus!
Suddenly, I found myself taking a flight of fancy, as writers often do. As I sat, taking my notes, I began to draw hearts. Next, I drew one big one. Inside it, I wrote JESUS + ME. Then, I began to write out my name: Marilee Nazereth, and Mrs. Jesus Nazereth, because that’s what I used to do at ISU during lectures as I gazed on my brand new engagement ring: Marilee Alvey, Mrs. Larry Alvey, Mrs. Marilee Alvey. This is what young girls sometimes do when they are in love, and I haven’t been in love for a long time, so I decided that, since I am in a relationship, I would do that. I don’t think Jesus minds one bit. It probably made him smile, too.
On the home front, I have been out of my mind excited this week. Want to know why? Early in my Covid journey, during the isolation and sanitizing, a high school friend of mine, Sherri, who lives in Florida and loves nothing more than to get out on the ocean in her boat, told me of a technique she had been using. She had some dish soap called Clorox Scentiva, with the scent of Pacific Breeze and Coconut. She said that, when she washed dishes, etc., she would smell it and would make her feel as if she was on a cruise. I wanted that dish soap!!! There was none on the shelves. I went to Amazon. Someone was selling it for $14 a bottle. I wasn’t that crazy….at least yet. I posted it on Facebook with the hint that it was what I wanted for my birthday in May. No one picked up on it. Meanwhile, the cost of it sailed (get the unintentional pun?) to a low price of $38 and soared up into the $60’s!
My daughter, Lindie, bought into my hype, so we began our quest. We’d look on store shelves. We’d go online to stores. We’d check Amazon. Nope. It was as if they had gone out of business: very possible during this pandemic. Just last weekend, Lindie texted me: it was back! For $5.85, I could own my own bottle of dish soap! I ordered one for me and one for Lindie. We have been SO EXCITED!!! When the shipment was delayed two days, possibly to January 30th, we grieved. Finally, it arrived tonight! Not only that, I ordered the laundry beads with the same scent. They came as well, and smell even better! It was only available by the case. I gave two to Lindie and have four more containers of laundry beads. I think I need to make some handkerchief sachets of those magical Caribbean beads to carry in my pocket and purse. After all, I am turning 70 this year.
Never mind a tidy conclusion. I’ll just show myself out.