COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Journal Entry # 1

16 March 2020

Are you journaling about your experiences, thoughts and worries about COVID-19 or Coronavirus? I have decided to use my blog as my COVID-19 journal for the most part. These will be short posts and I am also keeping a small journal that I will pass down to my grandsons. Here's what I plan to do by journaling on my blog.

• Write about recent COVID-19 updates
• Write about my thoughts and experiences
• Try to keep politics out of it if possible
• Share my day whether it is genealogy related or not

I will start with updates first however keep in mind that I am only listing local COVID-19 updates and information I have found that I think is helpful or interesting. It is my goal to keep this upbeat not depressing!

Today, I found this link on Facebook stating that Australia MAY have a cure but further testing is needed. See Coronavirus treatment: Australian researchers ‘within reach’ of cure. I am also following The Washington Post Coronavirus Updates which is FREE! I am also checking The CDC website  and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The Johns Hopkins site right now is my favorite. Johns Hopkins has a pdf on Coronaviruses Fact Sheet that I found very informative.  

The local news here in Myrtle Beach has reported that there are now 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Horry County. All of them are currently isolated at home.

What I am doing today:

My day started with phone calls to my Medicare Advantage plan and Social Security for change of address since moving in February. Two more things checked off my list! 

I decided last week to start a journal for my grandsons telling them the story of my adoption. I am also telling them what I know of my biological family as well information about our family. My plan is for them to read it once they are old enough to understand. Below is the beginning of my journal entry for today, explaining that E may or may not remember this and that K would learn about it in school.

I am also working on DNA matches and specific lines in my birth family hoping to break down a brick wall in my birth family for my paternal great grandmother, Eugenia (Judy) Bessinger. It is her great grandfather that is my brick wall. Wish me luck!

Stay healthy and safe my friends!

©2020, Dawn M. Kogutkiewicz, genealogical researcher and writer of Dawning Genealogy. All rights reserved.

2 Decades

Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of my son, Kenny's death. I have been struggling with my emotions all week. I have this hole in my heart that gets patched up but when the anniversary of his death comes around, it feels like it has been ripped out and torn in two all over again.

Two decades without his voice, his dark chocolate brown eyes, his laugh, his smile and his arms to hug us. I cannot help but wonder of the things he might have accomplished in the last two decades. What kind of job would he have? Would he be married? Who would have captured his heart? How many children would he have? Where would he be living?

I think of all that he has missed in the last two decades too. The wedding of his brother, the birth of his nephews, the births of all the cousins who came after his death, the family weddings, funerals and so many other family moments too numerous to mention. Making memories that should have been rather than memories for only 19 years, 3 months and 30 days. It just wasn't enough time!

I don't know if any parent ever gets over the loss of their child. I do know that I have learned to live with the aftermath of my son's death and I have accepted the fact that he is gone no matter how much I might wish that he wasn't. I have learned to move on with my life but it's divided now into before and after his death. 

The most precious gift is that my oldest grandson, Doodlebug is a wonderful combination of both my boys and at times his uncle shines through. When I see those moments I say a special thank you to God for giving me glimpses of a little boy whole stole my heart from the moment I learned I was pregnant.

I have written about Kenny and his death before and it's been awhile since I have re-posted those links. You can would read my original posts about Kenny here, The Death of Our Son Part 1, The Death of Our Son, Part 2, The Death of Our Son, Part 3 and The Death of Our Son, Part 4.

This is one of my favorite photos of Kenny. He was named for my maternal grandfather, George Kenneth Rueff, a man I respected and loved greatly. 

©2020, Dawn M. Kogutkiewicz, genealogical researcher and writer of Dawning Genealogy. All rights reserved.