On Monday I started drafting this post by writing these few lines:
Hello lovelies!! Today I am writing to you from Charm City- Baltimore!! You know the Bessette Love affair with this city! Baseball dates for just shy of ten years, it has become our little hang out
I stopped there and have not looked back since Monday.
I was in-between work events and was planning on drafting this weekend’s wrap up as my day unfolded. This week I was scheduled to be at the Annual Conference for my full time position. My role is on the membership team for an association. I get to know the members and how to best serve their needs aka, I am a people person - and Conference, well it is my Christmas. A chance to meet and greet, talk to folks, get out from behind my computer and the impersonal nature of email. The week is usually long, odd hours, on your feet a lot, but you are bonding as a staff, you are taking time with the members, and I have never left a meeting without a huge smile and a “I love what I do” mantra singing in my head.
The even better part about this meeting? It was in Baltimore. Driving distance to bring all the clothes, contract work, and blogging tools I wanted! Danny was planning to join me and we had social events that were going to be really fun with both my company - Cal Ripken, Jr. as a speaker - and on our own, Orioles games - to enjoy, plus some family time. With my both my Dad and brother in this industry several of us were going to stay the following weekend.
Over the last weekend riots broke out in the city. A young, African American man, died in police custody. The situation is as difficult as can be and the peaceful protests turned dangerous riots led to a state of emergency for Baltimore. I arrived Monday and by Tuesday the show was cancelled, my husband’s nerves were frayed with my absence, and I arrived back home - in just about 24 hours.
The Orioles, really special day trips at the Inner Habor, we have celebrated there, had CF events there, we now spend time at Johns Hopkins….Baltimore is a really important place for Danny and I. For all the pain and suffering this town is going through - on so very many levels, we are completely distracted and full of emotion. Each night this week we have watched the news for hours, talked about what we heard or what we have read. We have wondered about how they could get help, where the city needs support, and most importantly what each subsequent day will present for healing and for the future.
In the scheme of this terrible time - I have not lost my home, I am not losing wages for days not worked, I am not falling being in school. My life is not spent huddled or hiding or afraid. My world is so very different than what I thought this week would be for the last few months - but I am not suffering. Yet I can’t seem to shake the sadness, the confusion, or lift from my fog. All I really can do is pray and hope for this city and its people.
My weekend wrap up prior to Monday - well it was pretty simple. Friday was my final day at home alone after a week of Danny in Arizona. I had big plans for getting final to dos done, cleaning up the house and scheduling my perfect weekend for final meeting prep, wrapping contract work, and time with my boys!
How did Friday play out?? The work day was so fast my head spun and before I knew it 5:30 was upon me! So I made a quick plan for Saturday office hours and was off to a manicure/pedicure night with my mom and sister Katy. Well nails lead to dinner at their house, which lead to visiting and TV watching and Shiba and I got home at 11. Not the night I planned but a comforting end to a long work week.
Saturday I woke up pretty early - the final office to dos called to me and I only had until 4 when Danny’s plane landed. Threw on sweats (AMEN for Saturday working in an empty office), walked the dog, grabbed coffee, and was lost for several hours amongst my music and to do list. One of my teammates came in and we hammered through some final details - lucky for me she had the sweats dress code too :) ! And when I finally emerged from the office walls it was sunny and after noon!!! I have no idea how that happened, but racing home for lunch, puppy time and getting ready for Danny was all I had time left to do. So much for that Target run…
And it was all working out nicely until my phone beeped - Danny had landed 40 minutes EARLY! How does that even happen?!?!??!??! So my plans to look perfectly cute were quickly replaced with throwing my soaking wet hair up in a top bun and racing to the airport. Not exactly what I had in mind, but Quinlan’s elation to see Danny forgave my messy appearance and we settled into a Saturday evening at home. Just what we needed before a week that was expected to be very full and away home.
Sunday was fast too - mass, working, time with pup, last minute errands, packing, planning, going over emergency exit routes from the city with Danny (as the riots from Saturday night were airing, we were getting a little uneasy) - and before I knew it we were all heading to bed with our prayers for a safe week.
That Monday I headed to Baltimore only to return the next day. Before all of the riots and coverage and state of emergency realities - Danny and I had “just in case you don’t go plans” - house projects, night at the movies, cooking together, kick starting the workout routine…..but instead all we can seem to do is wonder how Baltimore will recover. So tonight I send my prayers to the city, to the people, to the government - let the silver linings in this experience be strong and the pain lead to progress. Until that time, I am grateful for my safe return home and chance at normalcy - a gift not granted to everyone tonight.
