I suspect most of us have had conversations about Covid and how it has impacted or changed our lives. Most notable for me are the policy changes made at medical centers that restrict family members from being present at medical appointments and procedures. For us it started in March and April of this year when my husband received a kidney transplant and our son selflessly donated a kidney to an anonymous person in the paired donor program. I wrote about this in a previous post. Safety protocols prevented our daughter and I from being at the hospital during the surgeries; we were not able to see each of them until the following day. One visitor per 24 hour period during their hospital stays. It was two of the most surreal experiences of my life. Family members having major surgery during a global pandemic. After giving each other a big hug, we had to let go and wait off site for the results.

The first year of a kidney transplant recipient’s life includes quite a few follow up appointments and a lot of adjustments. It takes time to get everything all “dialed in.” We live on the Northern California coast which means we have a 5.5 hrs road trip to get to UCSF for major medical treatments. Translation: overnight stays are required. We still live within the confines of the Covid pandemic which means I sit on the sidelines while my husband is cared for at his appointments. Faith, patience and trust have become an important part of our lives.

I am incredibly grateful that we have a National Park System which in San Francisco includes the Presidio, Crissy Field and Golden Gate Park. (Marin Headlands is another fabulous recreational resource just north of the GG bridge and featured in my previous blogposts.) My time on the sidelines is enhanced greatly by these public access opportunities. I can stress bust on the trails while enjoying beautiful scenery and today I also got the opportunity to enjoy some public art. The My Park Moment program is a temporary photography installation at four sites at the Presidio. I’ve added some pics below from the installation at Crissy Field.

The intention of this post is not to gain sympathy but rather to encourage and inspire. I hope my little “chats” and pics can bring hope and joy to the reader. As the My Parks Moment installation demonstrates, we are all in this together. Enjoy my pics! I enjoy sharing them. #iluvtowalk #presidiosf #crissyfield #fortpoint #goldengatebridge #sanfrancisco