Never Forget

Sharing a post from Facebook that I wrote 5 years ago.

Jon Richard Grabowski, 1967- 2001 

Back on the 5th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, I was honored to be a part of an online project that united over 3000 bloggers to remember and honor each of the lives lost on that horrible day. I was assigned Jon as the life I was to honor. I never met Jon in life, but I learned about him as I did research for the project and I came to care about him as a person, not just another tragic number. I made a promise in my post that day that I would never forget Jon and that I would always honor his memory. So, today I do that. I honor Jon and all the others who were lost.

Sometimes when I look around at this country I feel like the terrorists are winning. We're all fighting and stand divided. We are killing each other in the streets. The face of this once great nation has changed drastically since September 11, 2001.

Can I ask you to do something, just for today? Can you put aside your differences? Can you stop screaming that one life or another matters more? Can you just for one day honor those who gave all that day and in the days since, by treating ALL lives as important....the black lives, the white lives, the law enforcement lives, the unborn lives....even the Republican and Democrat lives?

Life matters. It is a gift. Cherish it because it can be taken away in the blink of an eye.

I pray you are dancing with the angels, Jon.

Sunday Stealing: Corona

It seems Covid-19 is all that's on our minds these days and this week's Sunday Stealing is no exception. It should be interesting to hear how everyone is feeling about things and handling the situation. 

Pandora has posted a bunch of Coronavirus questions on her blog and shared them with all of us.  Thanks, Pandora!!

1. Has the COVID-19 affected your work environment?  Well, it had. I resigned from my job after my shift on Friday. (A story I will probably tell on Monday's blog if you are interested.) If you remember I worked in a nursing home so we were dealing with a lot of changes. No visitors at all. Residents must be kept at least 6 feet apart (a difficult task in the dementia unit). Staff must change clothes when they get to work. Purses may not be brought in the building. Lunch bags/boxes are okay as long as they can be wiped down with disinfecting wipes. Same for cell phones. Leaving requires changing clothes again and leaving work shoes at work. On Friday we began getting residents in touch with family members through Skype and Facetime.

2. How are you feeling about the Coronavirus?  Stunned? It is just crazy how fast the entire world has been turned upside down.

3. Has anybody you know been tested / have you?  A woman I went to high school with came out on Facebook the other day to tell us she had been tested after all other tests came back negative. She was waiting for results. I haven't heard anything yet. Other than that, I don't know anyone, including myself.

4. Do you have any friends stuck in any exotic locations?  My half-brother just told me his youngest daughter is stuck in Peru.

5. Have you changed any of your personal habits due to the pandemic?  Since I was working in healthcare, I was pretty much washing my hands and using hand sanitizer all the time. I still do, only more so. I still hug my grandchildren, but I don't kiss their little faces. I'm talking to Mom on the phone, but I'm not going to her house unless she needs me to do something. 

Oh, and we are not ordering take-out. I know much has been made of helping small businesses by ordering take-out, but I think that might be a good way to spread the germs. 

6. What's the craziest thing you've seen or heard about the outbreak?  I think the craziest thing to me is just how fast we've shut down the entire planet.

7. Do you think our politicians are doing enough to curb the crisis?  I think they are doing a good job at some things and not so good at others.

8. Have you stockpiled anything because of the crisis? No, not really. I just do my regular shopping, though if I happen to see something I will probably need in the next week or two that has been hard to get, I will pick up one (whatever it is).

9. What do you think you will miss the most if you are subject to a lock in?  Hunting for treasure in thrift shops, going to auctions, and things like that. Otherwise, I'm pretty good with myself for company. Introvert, only child, and all that, you know? Now if it gets to where I can't see my grandchildren that live right nextdoor, that will be a whole new ballgame.

10. What is the weirdest rumour you've heard about the virus?  I have heard so many and it's hard to know which are true and which are false so let's just say the jury is still out on that one.

11. Do you have a favourite meme about the virus?

12. Has the virus made you grateful for anything?  All the little freedoms we take for granted on a daily basis....taking a walk around the block, shaking hands with people we meet, going to work every day, going to church, being able to buy toilet paper, etc.

13. Have any of your plans been upset by the outbreak? Not really at this point.

14. Are you planning do to anything different because of the COVID-19 outbreak?  Life itself is different these days. We're all learning to adapt.

15. What do you hope to see in six months time?  A return to our normal lives, but perhaps with a cure or a medicine to fight or prevent the virus and a new awareness of how precious certain things are.

16. Has the Coronavirus upset your mental health in any way?  Not really. The restrictions are frustrating, but I have faith that God has things under control. It may not seem like it to us at times, but we can only see a small part of the picture while he sees the whole. I will not surrender to fear.

** It seems I received a visit from a very angry young person over night. I did not delete their comment, so you can read it and respond to it if you choose since most of you are also of the Boomer generation this person has such an issue with. I may respond. I may not. But I can tell you I am praying for this person who is being eaten alive by anger. Expecting hate to solve anything is pure foolishness. Just saying.**

It's a Whole New World

And just like that...everything has changed. Late yesterday afternoon Pennsylvania's governor made it mandatory for all non life-sustaining businesses to shut down. Grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, health care, and restaurants (take-out only) aren't included, but as of 8:00 last night (or 12:01 tomorrow morning for those who need today to comply) Pennsylvania is effectively shut down.

Tim is working today to shut down and secure his construction site, but then he is done until this is over. Our son is working half a day today to wrap up loose ends and then he is also done. I'm not sure about our son-in-law. He had not gotten a call last night, but I saw his truck was in the driveway this morning much earlier than it should have been if he had worked.

I saw that California ordered people to stay home, but there are so many exceptions to the rule that I'm not seeing where it's going to make any difference. New mandates are rolling out every day in more and more states.

I don't know where this is all leading or how long it will go on, but I know God is still in control and that gives me peace. I know that come what may he will see me through it. 

I pray that you and your family are safe, healthy, and come through this mess just fine.

Don't Focus on the Storm

My excitement over finally having the tile in the bathroom done...

...or nearly done, the guys still have to come back and do a final cleaning and seal the tile after the grout dries (Saturday or Sunday)...

is really being tempered by the craziness of the world right now.  A ticker now scrolls across the bottom of the screen at all times to notify watchers of all things cancelled, postponed, or changed due to the Covid-19 virus. Stores are limiting purchases of non-existent goods that have been unavailable for nearly two weeks already. Schools are closing. All sporting events are cancelled or on hold. Churches are officially saying it's okay to stay home and communion is not being given.

Let me put this in some perspective. In Allegheny County, in which Pittsburgh is located, there are zero cases of Covid-19. However, there have been 3 more deaths from the flu (there have been over 100 during the season) and new cases of flu continue to be diagnosed at the rate of about 800 per week (there are only 22 cases of C-19 diagnosed in the entire state of Pennsylvania). Um...so why was there no panic over the flu? It has been more fatal this season than C-19 has been to this point. 

To be sure there are people who are more at risk, there are people who are more vulnerable with ANY infection, but with common sense measures C-19 does not have to be any more deadly than anything else. This is not something on the level of Ebola or the Black Plague.

A little food for thought...

But the bottom line is this, it doesn't matter what happens...there is hope, there is strength, there is peace and it is found in the same One who calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee over 2000 years ago. God is always in control. He may choose to allow the consequences of our choices, but he is always there to give us strength to get through it. He is always the hope before us. When this life bows your back, allow it to drop you to your knees, and then look up and talk to God who is waiting to hear from you. Focus on Him and not on the storm.