Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: FINISHED (04/09/20)
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TITLE: The Most Comforting Four Words | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sandra Alsworth
04/16/20 -
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She sighed, slowly looked up, squared her shoulders and told herself, “OK, that’s enough self-pity, now get back to work on these facemasks.”
The Covid-19 virus was spreading like wildfire across the world, and people could infect others without feeling sick themselves. Added to that was an abysmal shortage of facemasks across the country.
Nina’s husband worked at Walmart, and his constant contact with customers put him at high risk. He could protect himself from the virus by washing his hands, but he couldn’t stop breathing the air.
Nina was doing what women do whenever they are faced with danger to their family – she was working to fix the problem. She found a pattern for facemasks online and had finished 37 so far. She was determined to make at least 100 to share with friends and neighbors. They didn’t protect as well as surgical masks, but they were much better than nothing.
Nina had spent the morning struggling to keep her daughter, Melody, on task with her schoolwork. The high school was closed, but the teachers had put the lessons on the internet, and Melody hated it. Thankfully, her schoolwork was done by lunchtime, and now Nina had time to get back to work on the masks.
Just then Melody stormed into the sewing room. “Mom, I can’t stand this stupid isolation. I NEED to hang out with my friends! I get on Facebook, and the only topic is Covid, Covid, Covid. Half my friends think we’re all going to die. The other half thinks it’s just some conspiracy to take away our freedoms. I want this to be finished so I can get my life back!
“Also, I NEED to spend time with Clint. Please, Mom, please! I’ll be careful. We won’t touch, I promise. Pleeeese?”
Nina sighed and prayed quickly for some wisdom. “I’m so sorry honey. I know how much you care about each other, but you know the rules about social distancing. And since both his parents work at the hospital, he has to be extra careful. You can call him whenever you want. And I promise you, this pandemic WILL end someday.”
Nina put her arms around Melody and continued, “Do you know what the most comforting four words in the Bible are? ‘It came to pass.’ Hard times come, but they don’t stay. They will pass. This pandemic will pass eventually. The self-distancing rules will end someday. And if your relationship with Clint is real, no amount of social isolation will stop it.
“A guy named Bob Marley once said, ‘You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.’ Right now, your only choice is to be strong and live the best you can until this pandemic is finished. And I promise you. Someday this will all be finished.”
Nina stepped back, picked up her scissors and handed them to Melody. “Now, let me distract you from your dreadful circumstances by putting you to work on these masks. Use this pattern. Choose whatever material you like and cut them out. I’ll sew them, and then you can iron them. We’ll make a great team and get them finished in no time.”
Nina smiled slyly and added, “You can make a couple of special ones for Clint.”
Melody sighed, gave her mom a wistful smile and took the scissors.
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I am making masks too. A well written article expressing real emotions. Well done.
Loved the Bob Marley reference. Funny how even secular songs speak to us.
Well done.