Book 333 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title: The Rose of No Man’s Land!

Book – Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin

Book Description:

Of all diseases, the 1918 flu was by far the worst that has ever afflicted humankind; not even the Black Death of the Middle Ages comes close in terms of the number of lives it took. No war, no natural disaster, no famine has claimed so many. In the space of eighteen months in 1918-1919, about 500 million people--one-third of the global population at the time--came down with influenza. The exact total of lives lost will never be known, but the best estimate is between 50 and 100 million. In this powerful book, filled with black and white photographs, nonfiction master Albert Marrin examines the history, science, and impact of this great scourge--and the possibility for another worldwide pandemic today.

Reflection:

I’ll save you all a few hours of your life and let you know that no one alive in 2023 needs to read this book. If you’ve survived the past few years during the coronavirus pandemic, you know exactly what happened in this book. The influenza pandemic of 1918 was eerily similar to almost everything we experienced over the past few years.

If I would have read this book 4 years ago, pre-Emilia and Covid entering my world, this reflection title would have read something like, “Very, Very, Very Frightening!” This book would have rattled me to my bones and wracked me with anxiety as I came to the realization that it is only a matter of time before something exactly like this very, very, very dreadful event would enter my orbit. The thought of this event would have been by far the most challenging, painful, and unimaginable event I’d ever encountered in my life by a LONG shot!

However, in 2023, I listened to this story and thought to myself, “Meh…Bring it on! I’m not afraid!” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want trauma, pain, or suffering in my life. This isn’t an open invitation to let anything and everything destroy my world and the people I love in it. What I am saying is that now I know that it happens and I’m okay with it. This is how the universe works, this is the circle of life. I’m not scared, and I know what to do when the next catastrophe throws everything it can at me. It may get me, or it may get someone I love, but it won’t stop me from living my life and doing everything I can to live my purpose in this world if I remain. I will make the most of every day that I have on this Earth until the time comes when something decides to usher me off the stage.

There is no way to prevent this stuff from happening no matter how hard we try. We might lessen the impact a little bit, but our biggest weapon to fight off the invaders in our lives is always each other. The author said something that struck me to my core, when he mentioned the real miracle cure of the 1918 influenza pandemic was something called TLC. I hope you all know what that stands for, but if you don’t, it means tender loving care.

This new TLC treatment in 1918 came primarily from the rise in one of the most noble professions that has ever existed in this world…nurses.

The rise of the nursing profession during this war and disease plagued time in our world was the biggest thing to come out of the pandemic per the author. While we all knew that not much anything could be done medically speaking to prevent the death and destruction that war and pandemic had inflicted on millions of lives, nurses bravely stepped into the worst situations imaginable and offered to be a human there to support another human to ease their suffering. In doing so, TLC gave a lot of people a fighting chance that wouldn’t have existed without that brave support.

Nurses have a soft spot in my heart. I literally owe the existence of my 2 children in this world to nurses. Without their minute-by-minute devotion, attention, soothing voices and mannerisms, and gentle touch, I truly don’t know if either of my children would have made it more than 1 hour in this world. As it is, the TLC these nurses provided for Emilia gave her 39 incredible days in this world and Luca is almost 2 and thriving.

I can never repay these nurses that gave everything they humanly could to help my children have a chance at life. Because of that, names and faces of people named Staci, Lori, Joni, Raina, Jessica, Charity, Emily, Molly, and so many others are burned into memory. While I’ve only maybe spent a few days in total with some of them, their impact on my life will last a lifetime and beyond. I don’t know what else I can say to honor them and the sacrifices they made to help my family. I owe you everything. Thank you for your TLC!

I’ll leave this reflection with a verse from a song written as a tribute to Red Cross nurses at the front lines of the First World War called “The Rose of No Man’s Land”.

There’s a rose that grows on “No Man’s Land”

And it’s wonderful to see,

Tho’ its sprayed with tears, it will live for years,

In my garden of memory.

It’s the one red rose a soldier knows,

It’s the work of the master’s hand;

Mid the War’s great curse, Stands the Red Cross Nurse,

She’s the rose of “No Man’s Land”.

Question: How can you share a little TLC to help ease the suffering of the people in your life?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - Very, Very, Very Dreadful by Albert Marrin