In a plague weary world, respect one another
Covid. Covid. Covid. It is a word everyone in the world is now familiar with. Every time we turn on the television, we hear about it. You cannot get on the internet without reading about it. It is virtually impossible to have a conversation with anyone without Covid being mentioned. Regardless of your opinion on the subject, Covid has an effect on pretty much everything we do. It is a constant in our lives which I feel most of us are sick of. Social media is filled with people asking prayer for someone suffering with this virus. We all know people who have contracted this illness. All of us also know people who have died from Covid.
When this started a year ago, none of us knew we would still be fighting it a year later. But here we are. All of us in the same boat. Black and white. Rich and poor. Republicans and Democrats. Covid is a perfect example of how life rains on the just and the unjust. There are some who have tried to make it political. A few radicals even believe the whole thing is a hoax. None of those radicals work in healthcare or the funeral industry. You will never hear of someone who has lost a loved one call it a hoax. And as for those who are suffering with it, or have suffered with it and recovered, you will not hear hoax come from their mouths either.
Before the end of 2020, many were sharing their beliefs that 2021 was somehow going to be better. We still have almost a year to go, so it could happen. However, as I write this on Jan. 21, Covid is hitting our community harder now than it ever did in 2020. People are dying in our community with Covid at a rate most do not know unless they are in a business which deals with death. The saddest part is that many of them are dying without being surrounded by their loved ones. The risks are too great to allow visitors in the hospital. The wonderful nurses are left to hold their hands as they pass from life unto death. Try to imagine the emotional drain this puts on the nurses. They get to know their patients. And I do not care who you are, seeing this much death gets to you after a while.
It is my hope and prayer the vaccine will help slow down and eventually eradicate this illness. There are people who say they will never take it. Some speak of it as if the vaccine will contain a GPS so the government can track you. It would be sad to live with that much fear. Some of us will continue to wear a mask when out in public. Some experts say they help. Some say they do not. I am no expert, so I do not know. But if there is a chance they help, I will continue to wear one to safeguard those I have contact with. I have never felt my Constitutional rights were being violated when wearing one. But that’s just me.
A lot of people have had to scale down funeral services for their loved ones. This can not be easy. Services are scaled down for two reasons. The first is the guidelines in place for funeral homes. The second, and most important, is the families concern for the well-being of their friends. I have seen many do it. There is one story I want to share. Robert and Kathryn Young have been humble members of our community for longer than I have been alive. Their son Phillip is the pastor of Holly Springs Baptist Church. They are just one of many Christian families who shape our community. They are a blessed family who have spent their lives giving back. Mr. Young lost his life to Covid. Like many families, Mrs. Young asked that people use social distancing at his funeral. But she took it to another level. She said she worried about someone getting sick by showing up and paying their respects. She asked me to add something to Mr. Young’s obituary. She wanted all their friends to know she understood if none of them came due to the risks. Her love for her friends outweighed her own need for being comforted in her grief. A beautiful Christian act by a beautiful Christian woman.
If you believe Covid is a hoax, I respect your right to believe so. If you think wearing a mask violates your rights, I will respect your right to not wear one. If you think getting the vaccine is a bad idea, I respect your right to not get it. But I ask that you show us who feel differently the same respect. Most of all, I ask all of you who believe in God, to take a minute after reading this column and ask Him to heal our land. May God hear our prayers!