by Chris Heuertz
I’ve been pretty sad for a couple weeks given the assault on our collective consciousness’s peace of heart & mind.
Lots of us aren’t going to be able to adjust to the new reality without each other.
So right now, let’s make an intention of hope & resiliency for those out there aching the uncertainty of how vulnerable we all are—specifically for some of the most susceptible among us:
You’re not alone.
We’re in this together.
We’ll do everything we can to help.
For the parents of newborns who feel the sadness of not being able to introduce their babies to friends and family because of social distancing.
For retired folks who are already struggling to get by but now watching their shaky financial futures vaporize with every hit the stock market takes.
For everyone getting married over the next few months, try to remember you’re not celebrating alone even if your community can’t be there for the ceremony.
For the refugees trying to make sense of of this chaos in a foreign country and a language that’s often difficult to comprehend.
For the small business owners who are forced to close shop out service to our collective health but will struggle to stay in business once this has all passed.
For single parents who were already under-supported and over-worked.
For the 20+ million kids in the US who need public school meal assistance just to get one or two hot meals a day + their parents who are suffering the pain of seeing their kids go hungry.
For the activists, charities, and non-profit organizations fighting to build a better world one donation at time while watching their funding thin out.
For our elders in assisted living communities who fear they may never see their family again.
For the authors, artists, musicians, speakers, and everyone else in the gig-industry whose livelihood is dependent on events that have been cancelled.
For the immunosuppressed and immunocompromised who fear running down to the market to buy the basics so they can get by one more day.
For the undocumented who have been illegalized by an unjust and unwelcoming system who fear applying for assistance at the risk of deportation.
For those who are incarcerated and concerned for their own health in their isolated communities or worried they may lose loved ones they’ll never see again.
For the flight attendants and local grocers who graciously serve all their customers while making themselves vulnerable.
For the hospice workers who wrestle with the risks of showing up or not showing up to care for their patients, and the difficult consequences of either choice.
For the chefs, bartenders, delivery folks, dish washers, host/esses, line cooks, servers, & all the hospitality industry who’ve prepared & provided meals for us but about to lose their jobs.
For parents whose employers won’t make concessions for you to stay home with your children who aren’t able to attend school.
For the health care professionals who put themselves in risk to care for the suffering bodies of our collective humanity.
For every single one of us who will lose a loved one, a friend, a family member, or a partner to this virus and will be forced to grieve alone.
You’re not alone.
We’re in this together.
We’ll do everything we can to help.
photo credit: Camilo Jimenez