A Kaleidoscope of Thoughts, Shaded by Grief

Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash

Like a kaleidoscope, thoughts tumble around in my brain, shaded by grief. A multi-colored view of the life I shared with my husband JC, shifts into focus. In the middle of the pandemic lockdown of 2020, my love of 30 years passed away. Not from Covid, but in the hospital alone, nonetheless, directly impacted by the pandemic. His battle was with cancer, one he would not win. Sadly, I am very aware that millions across the globe share this devastating experience.

We met as performers in a Broadway production of “42nd Street” and continued to be active in that field for much of our time together. Going through boxes of memories, and coming across an old email to my sister, the kaleidoscope in my brain slows, and I find surprising clarity in a chain of events from a local community theater production.

In 2007, JC created a nonprofit community theater company that used a local library theater as many do, to stage its productions. In that summer of 2007, the musicals “42nd Street” and “Sweet Charity” were produced, directed, and financed by JC as the first season offered by the community theater company.

My sister, visiting for a few weeks, recreated the choreography of “Sweet Charity” for us, as she had done the show on Broadway. She brought her young son along for their “summer vacation”. My father-in-law was spending the…