Courtesy of CNN
As President Biden said during tonight’s memorial honoring
them in Washington, D.C., “These people were extraordinary. They spanned
generations…We ask you to remember, so we can heal…”
“While we've been fighting this pandemic for so long, we
have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow," Biden later said. "We
have to resist viewing each life as a statistic, or a blur, or on the
news."
Each of these people lived a love story, or multiple
stories of love: between parents and children, between grandparents and
grandchildren, between brothers and sisters, between friends, between
neighbors, between lovers and spouses, within a community…
My Uncle Jimmy is one of the 500,000 we have lost. He began
working at a grocery store as a bag boy at the age of fourteen, eventually
working his way up to manager and ultimately owning his own chain of six
markets.
He married Aunt Bev despite the prejudice they faced
because of her Catholic faith. She was also a diabetic from childhood, but he loved
her enough to promise to stand by her “in sickness and in health”, which he did
through raising two children, losing a third baby, her later blindness and
worsening health that led to her early death.
What I remember is their zest for life, their love for one
another and their family, their unfailing kindness and sense of humor. Uncle
Jimmy was surrounded by love and loved all those around him. The world is a
better place because he was in it.
Yet he is only one of so many.
Please take a few minutes to follow this link to CNN’s memorial
page and honor the extraordinary love stories of those we have lost, whose loved ones are in mourning.
I ask you to remember, so we can heal… ~ Sarah Raplee
5 comments:
Very important to acknowledge and feel the pain and loss not just of our own friends but also for all those we've never met or gotten to know and never will.
So true, Judith. It honors them and their fmilies, and reminds us to do our part to eep others safe.
Very well said, Sarah! We should never forget those who've perished during this pandemic. And reach out and hug those left behind. So sad!
So many lives lost. It is important to remember, to say their names, to share their lives. Your Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Bev sound like a wonderful couple and a beacon to all the extended family. Their example shows how to love and live in spite of prejudice and challenges. Kindness and humor can get us through the tough times and help us rejoice in the good times.
My condolences, Sarah. I agree it's important that we remember and mourn together so we can heal. May happy memories help ease your pain.
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