A cold, brisk morning,
Today we bury a friend,
Sadness fills my heart.
Yes, today we bury a friend—my best friend’s Dad to be exact. But I phrase this loosely as I cannot physically be there due to the pandemic restrictions put in place of no gatherings, including funerals, of more than 10 people. This is devastating all the way around! The family doesn’t feel the peace that comes from the the heart-felt words, stories, and emotional hugs of those paying their respects, and those wanting to pay their respect cannot do so in person. I view this as a major disruption to the healing process. I, myself, feel like I need to do more, but haven’t figured out what that entails. So I resolve to paying close attention to facebook and look for all of the family’s posts filled with loving memories and photos, and try as I might to respond to each and every one.
But today does bring with it some goodness! The college I work for is launching some really good events to help the local medical community. We’re making masks! There are sewing stations set up as well as 3D printing stations. A local company donated fabric for sewing cloth masks, and the 3D printers are producing the plastic headbands that will then be fitted with transparent film sheets that together make face shields. I headed to campus to document these activities on videotape and photography, and it makes my heart melt that even though the campus is nearly empty, the few that remain are taking on this effort! I’m also so grateful that I got to actually leave my home and be a part of this wonderful event. Yes, we all still had to stay 6 feet apart and don latex gloves and face masks, but that doesn’t detract from the excitement I felt at seeing coworkers’ faces, hear their voices, and even just being in the same room! This reinvigorated my soul and spirit. Cabin fever has been delayed!