From: dstrauss1899@yahoo.com Donald Strauss Date: January 28, 2022 Subject: Hello again Dear Jochen: Your last email of December 22 seems like a long time ago. As always, I found your written words fascinating with an incredibly direct, focused beam into your brain and emotions. You describe your innermost feelings/thoughts most honestly and better than almost anyone I know, including a number of my immediate family members. Your skill at describing the assimilation of your experiences are second to none. As for me, I move forward with a sort of mystical faith and belief in G-D, who logic says does not take a hand in determining one’s fate. Since writing to you, I have encountered a number of events which continue my belief in some element of fate. First, 13 of my immediate family members and I enjoyed a wonderful week’s vacation in a lovely home in Florida. Then, my granddaughter, there came down with Covid and spread it to my daughter (her aunt), and her cousin (my grandson). She returned to California and quickly recovered, but my grandson and his mother have been largely sick with Covid and Mono, both being largely tied together as their newfound illness resulting in their need for many hours of sleep in their beds. Absence from school is also the result. Thankfully, us 10 others did not catch the disease despite being in close proximity throughout. Jan and I then vacationed alone in Florida. We returned and I had an MRI which identified a Meningioma in my frontal lobe area. Following that, Jan had a mammogram that doctors said showed abnormalities. She also went back for further testing which showed she did not have an issue…Whey! So, bottom line…we confront illness, (and death) with a firm belief that “what happens, happens” and "what doesn’t happen, doesn’t happen”. And so, not withstanding the risk, tomorrow, we will travel again by plane through crowded airports to Florida taking whatever precautions we can. No risk, no fun in life. We will meet our son and his family and also have lunch with several cousins whom we have not seen in 20+ years. We return on February 6 avoiding below zero temps and predicted snow here in Illlinois. Stay warm, wear a mask when out, and stay healthy. Don