Today is the sixth anniversary of my daughter’s passing. It is so hard to believe. She would be 26 now, and I can only wish she was living the life I had hoped for her. Just as I never imagined losing Kayln, I could never have imagined what we would be dealing with this past year.

In March of 2020, like so many people, my husband and I started working from home. A couple of weeks later, my husband was feeling ill, and went to the emergency room. It’s a good thing he went because they discovered that his kidneys were close to shutting down! We didn’t know it at the time but it was just the beginning of his Covid journey. On his second trip to the ER, they took a chest x-ray and discovered his lungs were filled with Covid. Not the news we wanted to hear. He became one of those “Long Covid” patients; over six months he experienced a wide range of symptoms such as out of control blood pressure, heart palpitations, swollen joints, and exhaustion. On a follow up visit they discovered he had developed a blood clot. Thankfully with medication and rest he is finally close to a full recovery.

Before all of this happened, our son and daughter in law had been living in Seattle, where Covid first broke out. They decided to leave Seattle and stay with us. Ironically, they ended up getting exposed to Covid in our house! Fortunately, they both had mild symptoms for just a few days.

With the new Covid rules, I was not allowed to be with my husband at the hospital. My heart breaks for all those who have lost loved ones from Covid, made all the more difficult because they could not visit them, sit by their side, hold their hand and provide comfort at the hospital. As I reflect on the my daughter’s passing, I realize how much harder it would have been if we had been blocked from sitting with her in the ICU. Though the memory of that time is very painful, I am grateful that we were able to be present with her.

This last year was another reminder of how unpredictable life is. I am more mindful than ever of how important it is to treasure our loved ones and make the most of the time we have with them. Kayln, we miss you every day and cherish our memories of you.