Just Breathe

Really take a deep breath.  Sure if you want to move six feet away from anyone first, go ahead.  But then take a long deep breath.

There is nothing to fear.

I love numbers and data.  We canceled church last week in North Dakota in part because I like numbers and data.  Last Thursday I knew the President would choose to advise us to social distance soon.  And we are in a really, really good place right now as a nation in the midst of this pandemic.

Italy has nearly a 10 percent death toll mostly because they didn’t react as quickly as we seem to be doing.  The worst global death tolls related to the Corona pandemic are related to overwhelmed health care facilities and staff.  For many of us, if we get it the virus will actually be fine. But about 5 percent may need serious health care.  That isn’t very many of us at all.  In Italy a lot of people died from lack of access to health care because there were just too many cases that needed it.

The measures we are taking right now will prevent it from getting to that point.  So, it’s ok to breathe.

Another concern that I know many share people is the economy.  Local businesses may not be able to make enough over the next couple of weeks to cover their costs.  There may be a slow down.  I hear that. And I really understand it.  But I still feel good about the future.  We have seen economic growth in the last few years that will help us to get through this together.

What do we need to do right now?

Band together.  This has one huge benefit to our culture right now.  We have a common enemy.  The last few years have seen an increase in partisan politics and anger at one another on social media.  I think we can agree that Covid-19 doesn’t really care what your politics are.  We have something that wants to make all of sick.  we are dealing with it together.

Trust the good intentions of others.  Some people are still saying that we are overreacting.  That this is nothing.  Just today, it was pointed out in a national press conference that at any moment in a pandemic, we are actually further ahead of where we think we are.  That means that if we are acting appropriately we may be underreacting.  And so we are at risk of overreacting.  But trust that the president and his advisors, the CDC, and local governments are making decisions in an effort to save lives.  There have been suggestions that this is all an effort to take away basic human rights.  Corona will pass, and I know America and Americans.  We will not stand for that for very long.  It will be ok.  Let’s believe that the decisions being made right now are for our best interest and not to harm us.

Help people.  Find someone who may be at risk of contracting the disease and see if you can run errands for them.  Help the elderly with technology so they can order online or facetime loved ones.  Offer to watch a couple of children for people who do need to work.

Buy gift cards in your community.  Large companies and restaurant chains will recover.  Your local restaurants and favorite coffee shops are the ones this will hurt the most.  Buy gift cards to your favorite local establishments right now so they have a little income to get them over this bump.

Breathe Deeply.  Humanity has dealt with far far worse than the corona virus and we always make it.  This event that we are living through will be a paragraph on a page in the history books one day.  It really will.  That paragraph will read one of two ways.  It will either talk about the ways that human selfishness and fear was on display, or it will talk about the ways that we worked together and found new ways to enjoy life and to thrive in the midst of a new challenge.  I am watching, and I already believe that school children one day will be learning from us how to live well and adapt as human creatures under the threat of a disease.

We are going to be ok.  Just breathe.