Greetings on day 317 of the stay at home orders. What? It hasn’t been 317 days? You’re sure? Well, ok. But it seems like 321!
OK. Maybe it’s just me but it’s beginning to feel it’s been longer than it actually has been since we’ve been self isolating at home. As I’ve said before, I’m one of the lucky ones who has ample opportunities to stay busy while staying safe. But I’m beginning to feel antsy, ready to go out, see friends, get back to work (I really want to get back to work!). But I find myself considering the risks, sigh, and hope for a time in another month. I realize that I have kept myself pleasantly busy but until the past week, I haven’t allowed the fullness of my emotions to have their time. I feel them now.
Maybe it’s because my feelings have been so heightened this past week. It has been an emotional time across the county as we saw the death toll from the corona virus pass the 100,000 mark. That’s 100,000 previously living human beings. We can believe that each one had someone -family, friend- that is now grieving in a new reality the loss of someone who had meaning in their life. But what about those homeless, those whose names may never be known? Their lives were just as valuable and their loss is a tragedy. My heart has been heavy thinking about the dreams unfulfilled, potential gone, the grief of those left behind, the impact on the community. My power in these circumstances is limited but I will do what I can to ease the pain/support those I know in words and actions and find ways available to me to support those I don’t know by openly expressing my feelings, giving when possible and being a part of the voices demanding actions from our elected representatives. This is not a time to give in but to find strength and commitment to stay connected, ask for what you need, give what you can.
Before I could take a breath from news of the COVID death milestone, I found myself watching with shock as a white police officer pressed his knee into the neck of an unarmed black man, handcuffed behind his back, lying on the street clearly saying “I can’t breathe.” I have seen this video many times and felt horror at the last minutes of George Floyd’s life. I wonder what happened to this officer that he became so callous and unconcerned about this man’s life? How could he not feel the need to treat this man with basic human concern? And the officer who stood at George Floyd’s head, who heard his pleas and did nothing? I felt physically sick thinking of those last minutes of George Floyd’s life. How insane, needless and racist. Since then, the peaceful demonstrations of anger and grief have been usurped by outside agitators (by some reports white nationalists) who have subverted the legitimate purpose of the demonstrations. We must stand together against this hatred, this racism, this class war, this status quo. Cry. Pray. Meditate. Call. Write. March.
I had planned to end with some jokes or comics but my mind can’t go there now.
Be strong. Be kind.
Marsha