I'm Back!

I stopped writing this blog a couple years ago.

I've missed it and am restarting today...

Since 2017 (when I wrote my last post), the world seems to have gone crazy. I'm talking about how everything has gotten so politicized that friends aren't talking, families have split apart, and none of the old rules seem to apply anymore. I was never much interested in politics. To my surprise, I've become quite outspoken and willing to share my stance on a number of topics on social media. I think this filled my need to write, hence my absence on kissimple.

A heavy toll befell me in 2018 when I lost my mother, aunt and both in-laws, all in succession. Through this experience I learned just how tired a person can become. The incredible sadness coupled with endless things that had to be done and so many deadlines, along physically running to hospitals, nursing homes, hospice facilities, and then closing up multiple households. It was such a brutal challenge to bear. I'm horrified I didn't memorialize here what I was feeling. Perhaps its just as well as my need for healing was great and being quiet was my best medicine.

You can never appreciate something like this until it happens to you. We all try to understand and commiserate with others when they experience death or other great loss, but the real strain can't be expressed in words. You must feel it.

I'm now on the "other side" of this experience. What helped was throwing myself into political discussions on social media and becoming part of a group that is supportive of my feelings and lets me know I'm not really crazy.

For all the negativity today concerning politics and social media, it is good being connected and not being alone. Recently my social media group has started to talk about leaving the platform because of all the trolling and ugliness. Uniformly we all affirmed we can't leave unless we all go and find a better substitute... I guess we're now family. This feels good!