A Message to the City from Elizabeth Aquino

Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 28, and today’s message comes from Elizabeth Aquino, who lives in California, but has spent time working on her art in the Pacific Northwest. “I landed a Hedgebrook residency some years ago and spent three weeks on Whidbey Island and spent three weeks in glorious seclusion,” she says in her message.

“When I went to Hedgebrook, it had been nearly two decades since I’d been away or alone. So you can imagine how profoundly life-altering that time was, and how I hold Seattle and the Pacific Northwest so close in my heart.”

Why was it her first time alone in two decades? Because Elizabeth is also a primary caregiver of an adult disabled daughter.

As she points out, caregivers are used to social distancing. “We are, as caregivers, sort of used to the isolation—the social isolation, the need to protect our most vulnerable—as now you all are more acquainted with it. Today, I’m going to ask you to think about the 40 million caregivers who live taking care of our most vulnerable citizens in their own homes, as you are in your own homes.”

A few years ago, Elizabeth asked other caregivers what they might have told themselves on the day their child was diagnosed. Those caregivers wrote down those messages to themselves, and Elizbeth turned those messages into this video:

Thank you so much for your message, Elizabeth. You are a hero. And so is every other caregiver.

Thank you for the reminder of what caregivers do, day in and day out, pandemic or no pandemic, tending to the most vulnerable in our society, without expectation of acknowledgement or thanks.

And thank you for filling the world with your writing and with your spirit.

Everyone else: Do one thoughtful thing today for someone who isn’t expecting it.

And good luck out there.

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Previously in this series:

Christopher Frizzelle’s message to the city on May 27.

Elby Brosch’s message to the city on May 26.

Mila Skyy’s message to the city on May 22.

Michael Lee’s message to the city on May 21.

SassyBlack’s message to the city on May 20.

Seattle Symphony horn section’s message to the city on May 19.

Lori Goldston’s message to the city on May 18.

Ibidunni Ojikutu’s message to the city on May 15.

RL Heyer’s message to the city on May 14.

Garth Stein’s message to the city on May 13.

Okanomodé’s message to the city on May 12.

Zoe Scofield’s message to the city on May 11.

Aham Oluo’s message to the city on May 8.

Pete Rush’s message to the city on May 7.

Trent Moorman’s message to the city on May 6.

Renée Valencia’s message to the city on May 5.

Justin Huertas’s message to the city on May 4.

Charles Mudede’s message to the city on May 1.

Kathryn Rathke’s message to the city on April 30.

Anthony White’s message to the city on April 30.

Miss Texas 1988’s message to the city.

Matt Bishop’s message on April 27.

Cherdonna’s message to the city on April 26.

Shenandoah Davis’s message to the city on April 25.

Lorena González’s message to the city on April 24.

Clyde Petersen’s message to the city on April 23.

David Ritt’s message to the city on April 22.

Sara Porkalob’s message to the city on April 21.

Julia Sweeney’s message to the city on April 20.

Linda Derschang’s message to the city on April 19.

Molly Sides’s message to the city on April 18.

Nick Garrison’s message to the city on April 17.

Tomo Nakayama’s message to the city on April 16.

Rebecca M. Davis’s message to the city April 15.

Heather McHugh’s message to the city on April 14.

Brandon O’Neill’s message to the city on April 13.

Kate Wallich’s message to the city on April 12.

Rebecca Brown’s message to the city on April 11.

Lucien Postlewaite’s message to the city on April 10.

Betty Wetter’s message to the city on April 9.

Amanda Morgan’s message to the city on April 8.

Nancy Guppy’s message to the city on April 7.

Jonathan Biss’s message to the city on April 6.

Chris Jeffries’s message to the city on April 5.

Lesley Hazleton’s message to the city on April 4.

John Roderick’s message to the city on April 3.

Bill Carty’s message to the city on April 2.

Price Suddarth’s message to the city on April 1.

Kary Wayson’s message to the city on March 31.

Ellen Forney’s message to the city on March 30.

Major Scales’s message to the city on March 29.

E. J. Koh’s message to the city on March 28.

Ken Jennings’s message to the city on March 27.

Demarre McGill’s message to the city on March 26.

Lynn Shelton’s Message to the City on March 25th.

Timothy White Eagle’s message to the city on March 24.

Cookie Couture’s message to the city on March 23.

Sarah Rudinoff’s message to the city on March 22.

John Osebold’s message to the city on March 21.

Ben Gibbard’s message to the city on March 20.

Nathan Chan’s message to the city on March 19.