“Mexico, meanwhile, reported its first death from the virus and closed its popular spring equinox celebrations at the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon in Teotihuacán…” This headline greets me as I open my email this morning, and I travel back to February 2019 “sisters’ trip.”
When my two sisters Mary and Anita and I had planned our latest adventure, I hadn’t known the exact date of my hip replacement surgery. Once I found out it was to be mid- December, 2018, my sisters urged me to reconsider the timeline. Wouldn’t February be too soon? Temperatures begin to climb in Mexico in late February, so our window was narrow.
Nah…I’m tough; I recover fast. This was my second time around, after all, and I’d returned to teaching on August 29 after surgery a month earlier with the first one. No postponement because of me! Full steam ahead.
And for the most part, I was ready. I managed the Metro, navigating the endless staircases to find the trains that took us wherever we wished far faster than any Uber in Mexico City, the fifth most populated in the world at 21,672,000. Over 4.4 million people use it (The Lonely Planet), and we joined them.
What we couldn’t have known beforehand was that my older sister would suffer a fall in Hawaii right before our trip and badly hurt her toes. Her foot was a mess, and her great concern was being prepared for a future trip she had scheduled in late March that would involve lots of hiking. She was in serious pain, but she is a trooper.
So Mary and I sat out the dramatic pyramid climbs Teotihuacán offered, benched, while we watched our younger—but not that much—clamber and cavort.
We talked about our frustration, I impatient as is my wont, Mary philosophical and calm, as is hers.
Next October we hope— dare I use the word plan— for a family reunion, with all six siblings, around my son’s wedding in New Orleans. Yesterday Mary and I secured a house for us, a “base of operations.” I write this with all the optimism I can muster, and harbor a totally selfish wish that what we don’t know beforehand won’t stand in the way of JOY.
Jump off; Find Wings 
Four of the five siblings in my family had a Zoom meet-up last night. We range in age from 55 to 71 and live from coast-to-coast, in Canada and the US. It’s been a while since we were all together and, given the circumstances, we don’t know when we will all be together again. That would have been true without this current situation, so the upside is that COVID-19 is encouraging us to see each other more often.
Good for you for planning a family reunion next year. I suspect, once this thing is “over” , my siblings and I will make more of an effort to get together in person.
Oh, my gosh, this sounds like a wonderful idea. I love Zoom and am writing about it tomorrow. Have you seen this? Zoom gets kudos. I am so very glad you and your family connected. The “over,” that it has to be in quotes, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Thanks for sharing.
I am sharing that song with my colleagues!
This will blow over. We can not stop living and making plans. We also have plans for later on this year and hopefully they won’t have to be changed.
How nice to enjoy your trip to Mexico along with you and your sisters. Must have been fun, despite setbacks and sure hope your reunion goes ahead just fine (did you mean this year or next year?)
2020…I know you, too, are dealing with impending wedding uncertainties. Best of luck to you.
I love your gumption, your joie de vivre – going to Mexico so soon after hip surgery. You are lucky to have such a close family and I hope with all my heart that your son’s wedding goes on as planned.
Thank you!