GRIM MILESTONE

During the past few days, the United States reached the grim milestone of more than half a million dead from Covid 19.  I am NOT going to get into an argument about pre-existing morbidity issues.  Even if there were pre-existing conditions or extenuating circumstances, the fact remains half a million of our neighbors, fellow citizens, friends, kin, co-workers have become infected and subsequently died.  Even those with risk factors had no idea the infection would lead to their demise.  They had not preplanned a funeral--knowing this was the year of their death.


Temporary Morgues in New York City

This has left more than 500,000 families deep in grief over their loss.  Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, grandparents and friends have left us before we expected them to.  The fact is our average life expectancy has been lowered by a year--due to this great loss in one year's time.  This is not a political ploy, a grand hoax, or merely the flu--it is deadly serious as evidenced by the numbers.

We have seen more deaths in the past almost twelve months than combat deaths in our great wars of the past.  Wars which lasted years.  The number of deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic surpassed the COVID deaths, but remember there were virtually no options for treatment in the 1918.  With all the advances in medicine, doctors are still fighting a lethal and deadly enemy.  

Where am I going?  I am praying we will not brush this off lightly.  I am praying we will remember families and friends are grieving these deaths.  This is not just a number--it is a number represented by individual faces.   A large part of our country is grieving.  The last thing any of those loved ones need to hear is any of us arguing about what the "real cause" of death was, if this is all a hoax, who is to blame, or where it came from.  Your brushing off this pandemic as nothing more than the flu, does nothing to comfort those who mourn.  Instead, I am praying we can mourn with those who mourn--stand by them--uphold them--become "Fellow Carriers of Sorrow" for this great loss.

I am so weary of all this fighting--arguing--blame shifting.  What will it take for us to remember we are all Americans?  When will we focus on our sameness instead of our differences?  It is heartbreaking that not even the death of all these fellow Americans has pulled us together.  Does it take your close family member dying to understand the gravity of it all?  All I can do is pray---and Friends, I AM praying.  Join me as we pray for all those who have lost dear ones, join me as I pray for our great nation, and join me as I look for our similarities--including the love of our families and friends.  Pray for those who mourn.

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

4 comments

  1. Praying with you, Lulu. So much loss and grief for so many, my heart aches for them. And when will we ever come together as a nation? Only God knows . . .
    Blessings!

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  2. I agree with all you say. I had a friend that lost her mom and husband in the same week.

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    Replies
    1. How overcome with grief she must be. Praying for your friend.

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Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!