let’s not forget the toll this pandemic has & is taking on people’s lives & the lives of their loved ones & those left behind. let us not become indifferent to loss, to pain, to suffering.

it’s quite easy at the moment, here in California, to feel like the pandemic has run its final lap. California at this moment is in a better position in regards to cases & transmission than other states here in the US & also other countries. this is good news for those of us who live here, but California isn’t the rest of the country, or the world.
there are still several states who are having to make the difficult decision of rationing hospital care & denying care, deciding who may or may not be viable & if able having to send patients out to other states to be treated. the US Air Force Reserves have been called up to fly patients from one state to another to receive lifesaving care. immense gratitude to our service members for serving in such a way.

on the world stage, this pandemic is far from over, w/ many countries still waiting for vaccines so they can vaccinate their populations. as long as the virus continues to transmit, it will continue to evolve new variants & we will continue to struggle.
as our country struggles to fully reopen, even while divisive infighting over mask wearing & vaccine mandates continues, let us not lose sight of the bigger picture, the fuller picture of not just our country, but the world’s situation.
when able, enjoy each other fully & safely. continue to social distance & wear masks when needed & if eligible/able get vaccinated not just for oneself, but as an act of empathy & compassion for others, for our communities, our country, our world.

the economy has importance, re-emerging into a new normal (a better normal?) is important, but let us not forget those who have suffered & those who continue to suffer, let us not forget the toll this pandemic has taken & in many places is still taking. let us vow to do our part to end suffering, end this pandemic & not lose the heart in our humanity in the process.
~j

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