In this difficult time, there is beauty and evidence all around us that inspires hope.
Snap Dragons (Image courtesy of Joan Koerber-Walker)
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I was talking to my Mom over the weekend and she said “this Easter will be different.” In our home and around the world, it was. For Christians, Easter is the highest holy day. Following a time of sacrifice, at Easter we celebrate rebirth and the hope of eternal life. This year we did not don our Easter finest and head out for church or Easter Brunch.
Families that are observing Passover may have felt this too. They still may have gathered for a Seder but the numbers around the table were likely not as many as in years past.
That does not mean that we can’t still find the beauty of this season, and the hope it inspires, in the world around us. In the picture is a pot of snap dragons standing tall. I did not plant them this year. There just was not time with everything else that is happening. But after the rains came a few weeks ago, they tentatively began to emerge from the earth. By Easter Saturday they were standing tall and in full bloom. It gave me a feeling of hope. Some day soon, when it is safe to do so, we too will emerge and stand together.
There are other things I see every day that fuel this faith:
The healthcare workers everywhere who are giving us the gift of their skill and their strength as they work to help others heal while risking their own health and well-being.
The grocery store workers and food delivery drivers who are interacting with the public each day so that we have food to eat and the farmers and food industry workers who are supplying it so that we need not go hungry.
The police officers, fire fighters, EMTs, and National Guard who are working across our community. Emergencies don’t stop just because there is a virus spreading across the land.
The scientists, researchers, innovators and manufacturers who have developed tests and are working on treatments and vaccines at a faster rate than at any time in history.
The businesses of every kind, large and small, that have changed what they do to help keep us safe, slow the spread of disease, or help us deal with the economic challenges that social distancing brings.
The Public Health Teams and Leaders who are working together to try and navigate a way through this when there is no map and so much is still unknown.
AND THE PEOPLE, across our land who are staying home so that we can slow the spread of this disease long enough for science to catch up and provide a better solution.
This is the beauty I see around me now and this is what gives me hope. In this difficult time, my wish is that you can find some beauty and hope in this very unique season too.
Stay well and stay hopeful,
Joan