I came to this point in my life through a series of Things That Happen – that part is not at all unusual. I became a teacher, then I got a Ph.D., and became a professor right before COVID-19 hit. Like all of us, I felt a great deal of stress living in “unprecedented times,” but then it just. Kept. Going. My Dad and my cousin both passed away in 2023 and I went back to work at the university feeling more than sure I wanted to be back home, and not 700 miles away (no offense, central Illinois). But I was close to tenure, so I submitted my portfolio like I had planned, and then my Mom got sick about a week later with what turned out to be colon cancer. That was right before Thanksgiving, 2024, and she was gone within a month. 

I had been approved for FMLA leave for the spring semester, thinking I’d be Mom’s caregiver and buy myself some time to figure things out. Instead, I became my younger sister’s caregiver (she is a disabled, completely awesome adult who just needs someone around). I moved into the house in my hometown that my Mom had just bought for her and my sister to live in. As the oldest daughter, I was officially and unofficially forever in charge of Things: Estate executor. Trustee. Bill payer. Event planner. Caregiver. Organizer. (One of my brothers once used the word “matriarch” and I almost slapped him.)

Writing about the Things That Happen(ed) was a natural response for me in what felt like chaos. I’m not here to teach anyone anything. I just wanted a place for all of it to land, and maybe a little bit of dialogue around loss, grief, and all the crazy Things That Happen.

Ain’t it funny how the past won’t ever let something lie?