Holy Week 2020

Every Holy Week is, of course, unique. But 2020 is really very different from any previous one. The corona virus has us all under virtual “house arrest”. We have all been asked to stay in our apartment except for when we take our walk on the premises. Since it has been raining for the last few days Jane and I have just been walking the corridors-and we are careful to even then wear our face mask and to very careful about maintaining social distance. Since we have not been off campus for more than 2 weeks yesterday I went down and ran our car engine on idle for 15 minutes just to make sure the battery remains charged. We continue to be exceptionally well served here by the La Costa Glen Team. Daily food delivered is excellent. In between meals we have visits that bring us hot chocolate and ice cream. And yesterday we had the gift of a beautiful houseplant named kalanchoe delivered to us and every other unit in this building. 

I suppose it is a blessing of Holy Week to be home alone and to have extra time for recollections and meditation. Maunday Thursday brings back very special memories of Holy Communion. It was on Maunday Thursday 1941 that I received my First Communion. I also recall with deep emotion taking the Lord’s Supper while in Hong Kong. I recall especially one service at Concordia Church. As I worshipped I looked around and saw how I was surrounded by people of all ages, some extremely poor, some relatively wealthy. Most were Chinese but there were also Americans, a visitor from New Guinea and another from India. My mind went around the world and I imaged thousands of fellow Christians all over the globe sharing the meal on exactly this same day. Very inspirational.

This year we will not be meeting physically with anyone except our spouse. All services will be via Zoom on the Internet. Our pastor and his team are doing an outstanding job. I know we will set up our own little altar with wine and bread and we feel at one with millions. On Good Friday the traditional 7 Last Words will be reflected upon by 7 different congregation members and as each one of those sentences is recalled we will extinguish one of 7 candles we will have next to our computer altar.

I hope I wake up early enough on Easter morning to do some reflection on Easters past. I want to recall the enthusiasm, joy and determination with which we built our Easter egg nests in Walburg when I was a youngster. I recall vividly walking around our pasture and going to the wooded area behind our church to find just the right cut of grass and flowers (especially newly picked Texas bluebonnets) to make our Easter Egg nests, all arranged in the order of our siblings’ ages Then on Easter morning there would be a hard boiled colored egg or two placed there by mother. Sometimes there was even a chocolate egg! This will be the first year in memory when there will be not a single chocolate egg or rabbit around our house on Easter morning

While I might miss those chocolate rabbits I do know I will recall how my Father always got up early so he could ring the church bells just as the sun rose. Then a little later he would be at the church pipe organ on full volume and accompanied by a trumpet we all sang “Awake, my Heart With Gladness (in German)”. Then I want to shift my focus to the thousands around the world who this Easter will be mourning family members who succumbed to the corona virus. There will be so many sad memories. I do hope and pray that through the tears there will be a vision of a new day of a resurrected eternity, of peace and health and celebration.

Pre Covid-19 My Childhood Diseases

PRE COVID-19 MY CHILDHOOD DISEASES

It is now more than 2 weeks that Jane and I, like millions of others, have been doing this newly named practice of “social distancing” in an effort to limit the spread of Covid-19 caused by the corona virus. It has brought to mind all the children’s diseases of my childhood. Since I was one of 9 children born into my family in the 1920-30’s we had virtually all of the common childhood infectious diseases. I wish my Mother were still with us to go into more details. My memories of having these diseases are clear that I had them, but the details are very hazy. I will recount what I do recall.

MEASLES. In the early 1930’s there was no vaccine to prevent this disease so we all got the measles. I clearly remember the red rash. It spread all over my body, itching like mad. The rash covered my entire body and there was not much we could do about it. I do not remember hearing that it was lethal. However, I have read that at its worst in one year it affected some 20 million people worldwide with a death toll of 100,000. Then a vaccine was discovered and widely administered so that the USA had as few as 63 cases a year. Then false rumors regarding the vaccine stated to spread. Some parents became afraid, refused to have their children vaccinated and now we are back to some 2000 cases a year here in our country.

MUMPS. All of us Kieschnick kids got the mumps. I just remember the terrible throat ache and my Mother’s deep sympathy as she told me she felt sorry for me but there was nothing more she could do for me.

WHOOPING COUGH-SCARLETINA-RED EYE. We all had them all. My memory of Red Eye is the most vivid. Lots of puss was secreted from the eyes. After a night’s sleep we were unable to open our eyes as they were sealed shut with puss. Mother would give me a very damp hot rag. I would lay that over my eyes and the puss would be dissolved and my eyes could open.

I do not recall going to the Dr.’s office. I do recall that if we needed a doctor to come to our house Dr. Wiedemeyer would show up with his stereotypical black bag and provide compassionate diagnoses and treatment. If a drug was prescribed it is amazing to recall that there was a drug store and pharmacy in the little town of Walburg with its 50 citizens. Mr. McGuiness would fill the prescription and we were well taken care of. 

It is now 80+ years since all of the above occurred. An over-riding recollection is that of my Mother. Here she was with 3 or more children down with one of these sicknesses after another. She tended to the 3 or 4 of us who had them at the same time. Most likely she was pregnant with another child on the way. She went to the garden to get the vegetables for the day, to the chicken coop to kill a chicken for the fryer. She carried water to the clothes washing machine out in the shed, hung them out to dry and made absolutely sure that Dad had a freshly ironed white shirt to wear to school. She was amazing and I lift my heart and soul to her in grateful memory!