On the recordFebruary 22, 2021
Today, we mark a truly grim, heartbreaking milestone. As we acknowledge the scale of this mass death in America, we remember each person and the life they lived. They’re people we knew. They’re people we feel like we knew. We often hear people described as ordinary Americans. There’s no such thing. There’s nothing ordinary about them. The people we lost were extraordinary. As a nation, we can’t accept such a cruel fate. We’ve all been fighting this pandemic for so long, we have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow. We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or on the news. We must do so to honor the dead, but equally important, care for the living, those left behind, for the loved ones left behind. That’s what has been so cruel. So many of the rituals that help us cope, that help us honor those we loved haven’t been available to us. The final rites with family gathered around, the proper home going. As a nation, we cannot and we must not let this go on.
