Food for Thought

Quarantine Journal: Part 4
As May approaches, and this ordeal drags on, it is easy to become impatient and ask ourselves, ‘When will life return to normal?’ It is just as easy to become confused. Doctors and medical experts are, themselves, confused. For instance, a few strains of the common cold are related to Covid-19, so it is possible for a person to test positive for Covid-19 antibodies, implying that that person might now be immune, when the person is actually testing positive for simply having had a cold. It is also possible that having Covid-19 and obtaining antibodies doesn’t make a person immune, meaning that a person can get the virus again and again (as might be happening in South Korea). On the home-front, Trump sends mixed messages about when the country should reopen, and, moreover, our governors can’t all agree, while groups of angry citizens stage protests wanting the economy to reopen NOW. And, while the frustrations of such citizens may be understandable (many are missing their paychecks, after all), I would advise my neighbors to be patient and cautious.
Continue social distancing throughout the month of May. My family certainly will be (my parents, in particular, are at risk from the virus). Don’t go to town unless you need groceries. Don’t hug, shake hands or otherwise invade each other’s personal space. Don’t visit each other’s houses. In crowded public places, wear a mask. Attend church and visit with each other online.
My parents and I ‘attended’ Maundy Thursday and Easter services in our pajamas, watching our minister deliver his sermon on Facebook. We took Communion using whatever was handy in the kitchen; in our case, saltines and Gatorade represented the body and blood of Christ. 58 people attended the Thursday service—meaning that there were more Facebook attendees than if services had actually been held in the church-building.
My advice, here, is not a political rant. It has nothing to do with politics or with who wins or loses elections in the Fall. Rather, I am asking that we all continue to take care of each other as this difficult year continues.