From what I’ve been hearing from friends and acquaintances lately, I’d say this little gem about sums up what they’ve been feeling.

We lost two of the most inexhaustible and authentic actresses of their generation — Cloris Leachman and Cicely Tyson who, as you know, passed away within a day of each other in January.

Raise your hand (mentally, of course) if you can relate to:

“Oh my gosh, I’ve finally discovered what’s wrong with my brain: On the left side, there is nothing right, and on the right side, there is nothing left!”

In my experience, change oftentimes came when I wasn’t looking. Sometimes it was good change. Sometimes it was not so good. And sometimes it was terrible.

Terrible change came to us all on Jan. 20 of this year. That’s when a patient in Washington state was diagnosed with the most defining challenge of our time — COVID-19.

This time last year I closed my Gray Matters Holiday column with these optimistic offerings:

“Celebrating life is what this season is all about ... Let us all celebrate it with as much joy and comfort as our hearts can hold. Then look forward to a new and improved 2020!”

This little-known story will be filed under one of my favorite headings: “It takes a woman ... ”