Anne

Her husband had died of plague one year before the Great Fire of London left Anne homeless with three sons. Somehow, she paid their passage to America and risked crossing the ocean to restart her family- my family- in an unknown world. Four years ago, I made something of a pilgrimage to Britain and found a very different city than Anne Craven left 350 years before but I have been inspired by her perseverance every day since then.

There has been a lot of uncertainty during the coronavirus outbreak but so many generations have experienced realities like it from bubonic to endemic yellow fever. Me saying so is not to dismiss what we are experiencing in this pandemic but to encourage myself by remembering that if I just keep persevering, it will all be alright.

Back in February, tornadoes ripped through my hometown of Charlotte, NC, and one went straight down the main drive of my parents' neighborhood, trapping my mother in her car. The experience was scary to say the least but she has since commented, "Sometimes good things can come from bad things." Just weeks later in April, my workplace shut down because of COVID and I have unexpectedly found myself unemployed like so many millions of people everywhere. But, I keep my mother's words in mind and they have been a source of strength.

It must have been impossibly difficult for Anne Craven to feel any sense of hope after living through both the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of 1666 but she took an unimaginable leap of faith into the unknown and things worked out. Good things happened. This too shall pass and everything will be alright with some determination. This time has given me pause to collect myself, learn new skills, and write academic papers again. I am finding new ways to pursue my passions such as entering Camera USA 2020. Although it can feel like life has hit a brick wall, I have taken a step back and am moving forward in a different direction. Good things are happening.