All the turkeys in my area can breathe a little easier. I won't be cooking you this year. There will be no big celebration around the table. I'm not inviting any guests. Not even our sons. It will be just the two of us and we'll make something nice, but not a turkey. Every day during this eight month (so far) nightmare has been a "thanksgiving". I wake up every morning and count my blessings before my feet hit the floor. The first blessing is waking up, of course, and then there's the litany of the people who make my life worth living, both family and friends. Then I'm grateful that so far I haven't lost any of them this year, because I realize many people have not been that lucky.
This morning I've been thinking about how many times in the Bible Jesus has said, "Those who have ears should listen." I always thought that was a little strange. This year, in a very big way, I finally get it. There are people who actually DON'T have ears. They CAN'T understand. They cannot process what is said over and over and over. In this case, it's "MASKS SAVE LIVES" and "KEEP YOUR DISTANCE".
I have been told "Well, I for one, refuse to live in fear!" as if that were something to be very proud of. I don't live in fear. I live in science. But living in fear really isn't the worst idea when over a quarter of a million Americans are dead from COVID. Maybe we should all be living in fear. We don't seem to be capable of "living in sanity" or "living in patience". How can people still be dismissive of this virus when we as a nation have lost that many people? When the world has lost so many more?
What will it take to convince us?
I am as depressed and exhausted as anybody (except the amazing people who are actually on the front lines in the hospitals dealing with this situation, of course). As the virus gets worse and comes back harder than ever, I realize that I'll be making the same decision at Christmas as I made for Thanksgiving. It is the only rational thing to do until we get the vaccine. It's more important than your sister's birthday (or funeral, for that matter), or the wedding, or the 50th high school reunion. All of that can wait. If we get it wrong at this moment, however, there will be no more birthdays, or weddings or reunions. No grandchildren's visits. No trips to the Cape. None of it. Is it really worth it? Can we not suck it up for a few more months?
My Christmas tree, currently adorned with autumn leaves, will be up until I can celebrate with my two sons. If that's July, then I'll just clean around it for another few months (or let the dust accumulate, which is much more likely). Thanksgiving will be a quiet day to give thanks, not make the shopping list for the next morning's shopping frenzy. Christmas will be a quiet time to think about the birth of Jesus. Or if you're not Christian, or even if you're an atheist, to think about what actually matters in your life. It seems none of us spend enough time doing that.
Wear the masks. Double them up when you're at the supermarket. And if you decide to gather with your family or friends on these days, I won't judge you. Really. But I will worry. And so should you.
I have been told "Well, I for one, refuse to live in fear!" as if that were something to be very proud of. I don't live in fear. I live in science. But living in fear really isn't the worst idea when over a quarter of a million Americans are dead from COVID. Maybe we should all be living in fear. We don't seem to be capable of "living in sanity" or "living in patience". How can people still be dismissive of this virus when we as a nation have lost that many people? When the world has lost so many more?
What will it take to convince us?
I am as depressed and exhausted as anybody (except the amazing people who are actually on the front lines in the hospitals dealing with this situation, of course). As the virus gets worse and comes back harder than ever, I realize that I'll be making the same decision at Christmas as I made for Thanksgiving. It is the only rational thing to do until we get the vaccine. It's more important than your sister's birthday (or funeral, for that matter), or the wedding, or the 50th high school reunion. All of that can wait. If we get it wrong at this moment, however, there will be no more birthdays, or weddings or reunions. No grandchildren's visits. No trips to the Cape. None of it. Is it really worth it? Can we not suck it up for a few more months?
My Christmas tree, currently adorned with autumn leaves, will be up until I can celebrate with my two sons. If that's July, then I'll just clean around it for another few months (or let the dust accumulate, which is much more likely). Thanksgiving will be a quiet day to give thanks, not make the shopping list for the next morning's shopping frenzy. Christmas will be a quiet time to think about the birth of Jesus. Or if you're not Christian, or even if you're an atheist, to think about what actually matters in your life. It seems none of us spend enough time doing that.
Wear the masks. Double them up when you're at the supermarket. And if you decide to gather with your family or friends on these days, I won't judge you. Really. But I will worry. And so should you.
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