Like every family, ours has ups and downs. Since my last column, the Nazor Hills have experienced both.
The “downs” include a beloved relative who was diagnosed with cancer and will undergo serious surgery in late December. Thankfully, odds are in his favor, his doctor said, so we are hopeful.
My family also lost a very dear friend recently with the death of Outdoor Chattanooga director Philip Grymes. Philip, 49, was married to Jennifer, my children’s childhood friend, and the parent of Griffin, both of whom spent Thanksgiving with us. These are the kind of friends you call family.
My granddaughter’s school was in lockdown a couple of weeks ago because of a threat involving weapons that was later determined bogus. She was terrified but had to practice holding in her terror during the incident. Otherwise she would have been “reported to the administration.”
She was terrified of being shot and feared she had accidentally let out a whimper while huddled in the corner with classmates. They, by the way, were all texting their parents. She had forgotten to charge her phone the night before and didn’t take it to school. She had no way on knowing her mother was aware of what was going on at her school and was parked nearby after hearing the news.
After the lockdown was negated, my daughter, knowing my granddaughter would be traumatized, went inside the school to get her. When my granddaughter was told to go to the office (not knowing her mother was there), she was afraid she was in trouble. She is 11.
Please understand that I was traumatized as well, and I’m 69.
When my daughter called to tell me about the lockdown as she was driving to the school, I also knew my granddaughter would be frightened. She knows about Columbine, Sandy Hook and Parkland. She knows that kids going to those schools were shot and killed inside their classrooms.
Like my daughter and granddaughter, I did not know the threat wasn’t real. My reaction? I cried and prayed. So when we learned it was a bogus threat, our gratitude was endless, but our nerves were shot. Lockdowns because of a potential shooter can never be normalized. Never.
On the flip side, our family has much to celebrate. All the adults have received their boosters, and all eligible grandchildren have been vaccinated. That gives me comfort when hearing about the “new” variant making headlines.
Our family, including aunts, uncles and cousins, gathered at our home for Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition with my husband’s family (all of whom live in Alabama) that we started 28 years ago. It’s one of the happiest days of the year. We’re together, we celebrate our love, and we have fun.
We skipped last year’s celebration because of the pandemic. But this year, everyone was vaccinated and, as a precaution, tested before we gathered.
Also in the “good” column, my husband, Hank, and I went to see the Rolling Stones in Nashville and Atlanta. The Stones put on incredible performances, proving that you’re never too old to rock ‘n’ roll.
Meanwhile, the grandchildren are each doing their own thing. Tilleigh just got the lead in a school play; Evie is mastering all things horses, ranging from grooming to feeding to trail riding; and William is all about his “Minecraft” passion.
We’re looking forward to Christmas, hoping the new omicron variant of the coronavirus isn’t as threatening as the delta variant. Our son Kit and his family – wife Bonnie and their daughters Charleana, 4, and Misha, 2 – plan to be here for Christmas, their first visit from San Diego since 2019. We visited them last spring and summer, but we’re ready to spend the holidays with them.
From my family to yours, happy holidays. Stay safe, and help keep everyone safe by getting vaccinated and getting your children vaccinated, all at no cost. It’s smart, and it could save your life and the lives of those you love.
Email Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com.