A Pandemic Pregnancy
(by Joy Montgomery)
At the beginning of 2020, I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I were thrilled to be adding a third addition to our family, but the year turned out completely different than we envisioned—in a word: lockdown. A pandemic and a pregnancy do not mix well, and I felt awful, both physically and emotionally. That’s when my mother came to the rescue. Even though she lives a long distance away, she came over frequently to check on us; she lent a helping hand in so many ways, making the time together special and nourishing us with her home-cooked meals, like her Tortellini Salad that was passed down from my Grandma Sue. It always makes me feel nostalgic and comforted to eat any of my grandmother’s recipes.
Things took an unexpected turn later on in the year. At a routine checkup for the baby and me, my doctor saw something wrong with my heart and immediately sent me to the ER. I was distraught and called my mother, who dropped everything she was doing and came to the hospital. Seeing the medical team frantically running in and out of my room was terrifying, but my mother was there to hold my hand and assure me that everything would be all right. Even though I am in my 30s, I felt like a child again.