In Praise of the Living

Halloween is rapidly followed by All Saints’ Day and Day of the Dead. While these days commemorate those who have gone before, I think we need to honor the living who are enduring much in these times.

• The “essential workers”: Police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, grocery workers, retail pharmacists, farmers, farm workers, and food processing plant workers..
• Hospital personnel who have rejoiced when they’ve saved lives and mourned when they couldn’t.
• Nursing home workers, who are doing their best to keep their residents healthy. Special props to the staff of my mother’s facility. NONE of the residents have developed COVID-19 to date.
• Families who can’t gather for holidays, weddings, or funerals.
• Children who have been forcibly separated from their parents – and who may never be reunited.
• Teachers who are attempting to teach students remotely with iffy or nonexistent internet access.

We are in debt to these people and many others.