Tired, but Thankful

Tired...

Still recovering from election fatigue. This was the first election in this writer’s lifetime that one had to have a plan in place for how to execute one’s right to vote. Absentee ballot, early voting, ballot box or mailbox or face election day long-lines among the many choices given to exercise the right to have our voices heard. Voter suppression tactics at an all-time high, relentless ongoing legal challenges underway to further thwart these options. Hopefully you were able to overcome any real or imagined obstacles and your ballot was included in the count whether or not your candidate made the cut.

Tired

Still anxious about the racial strife. The election maps display the country as Red and Blue, but could easily be misconstrued as Black and White if one uses the ongoing, nationwide demonstrations, many peaceful and unfortunately many not so peaceful resulting in riots, injuries and death as a measure. While it is not the best measure to use it has indeed forced the country to open up the unhealed wounds of historic, unresolved systemic racism that continues to plague our country. Black Lives Matter juxtaposed against groups like The Proud Boys and further enflamed by agitators and anarchist have converged to create a level of anxiety that may feel like our country is a tinder box ready to blow. Hopefully the President-elect’s demeanor and empathy will bring us back from the brink and remind us all of our humanity.

Tired

Still lamenting the scourge of the pandemic. The daily reports of escalating COVID 19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths that are projected to go as high as a half million before the end of the year is heart wrenching. Frustrated beyond measure by those who refuse to wear a mask and socially distance to hold the virus at bay in order to protect those among us who are most vulnerable. Missing family and friends’ hugs and the isolation that shelter-in-place demands. Hopefully, the vaccine trials are closer to being made available so that we can return to some sense of normalcy.

Tired

Still concerned about the raging fires and storms. The west coast has endured an unprecedented number of wild fires while the Gulf Coast and mid-western states are being battered by high winds and flooding from record breaking hurricanes, tornadoes and tropical storms. The wake of this devastation has left far too many families homeless, acres of timberland wasted and loss of life for both man and wild animals. Yet, some of our government leaders still deny that climate change is at the root of these phenomena and refuse to commit to transitioning away from fossil fuels for energy. Hopefully, the change in administration will renew the United States commitment to being a full global partner in reducing our carbon emissions.

Thankful

Though we are still very much mired in grappling with all of these issues, Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away. A great time to reflect in the midst of all this angst and be reminded of all the things for which we can and should be thankful:

• The people of the United States turned out in record breaking numbers     using every mode of voting made available to sustain our Democracy;

• That young people of all racial/ethnic origins are fully engaged in               fighting for equal justice for all;

• That technologies like Zoom have enabled us to stay connected with         family and friends from a safe distance;

• That Scientist are committed to finding a cure for this unforgiving             virus post haste;

• That our health care workers and first responders continue to display       heroic courage in meeting all the challenges that we still face;

• That there are leaders, scientist and citizens that continue to work             tirelessly to educate and develop strategies to turn around the effects       of global warming and save our planet.

Hopefully there are many more things that you can think of to add to this list. We highly recommend it as therapeutic balm to lessen the fatigue.

Here at J.F. Goode Funeral Home we are thankful that we have had the opportunity to serve our community for over sixty-five years and you can be assured that we will never tire of being here for you!

Happy Thanksgiving!