We are in a global pandemic, but I am not telling you anything you don’t know. In fact, it is hard to forget because of our country-wide mandate to stay inside. But, even with persistent instructions to stay inside, it is a much more eventful time than it should be. By that, I don’t mean that it is, by any means, a fun time but that there has been so much opposition to such simple instructions. People are crowding in parks and on beaches and protesting the very order to stay at home because they have the luxury of not being affected by the disease, deeming it a grave inconvenience to their way of life, as well as a hoax. Ultimately, they’re turning a blind eye to the calamity COVID-19 is causing in the interest of getting the economy back up. However, I don’t want to talk about them, but rather the countless people they dishonor and discredit every day by their refusal to accept what is a reality for so many: those in mourning.
Some people are lamenting not being able to close out their senior year and not having a graduation ceremony, some people are adjusting to life back at home, and some people are either working from home or have lost their jobs altogether. And then, there are those, thousands of people, in fact, who have lost loved ones – be it a brother, sister, mother, father or friend. This pandemic has cost many of us a lot of liberties that would have caused no issues prior to COVID-19, but for this moment and this editorial, I would like to address those who have lost people that they cannot get back, loved ones who passed from COVID-19, underlying health conditions or any other circumstances. On behalf of myself and the Un-Associated team, I would first like to extend my condolences and prayers to any and all people that have lost a loved one(s). I, myself, have lost three people in the last two months and it has been surreal, to say the least – going to a 15-minute funeral that I couldn’t even be a part of because the occupancy rate for the room was 10 people, or not being able to have a funeral because so many people have passed that my family can’t get access to our loved one due to the medical examiner’s office being backed up are the tip of the iceberg. By all accounts, this is an unprecedented time and while grief is a complicated and layered juncture to navigate, it is made even more grueling when we can’t say goodbye in a way that brings us peace or at all.
I have found, however, in times of grieving that there are things so pervasive and powerful that they remain with us even when we’ve lost someone – those things are memories. And the beauty of memories is that they manifest in different ways, tying us back to those we love – to the tender moments we shared with them, the lessons they taught us and the imprint that is left forever on our hearts by having them in our lives.
Unfortunately, I am limited in my capacity to bring back any of my loved ones or anyone else for that matter. However, I am hoping to provide you with some words of encouragement and a reminder that even though we are all confined to our homes and it feels as though we are alone, God is always with us and prepared to comfort us – if we allow Him to do so. Now, I will decrease in words to direct you to some passages that will comfort you better than I:
“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalms 34:18
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
