My Pandemic Legacy

What is the legacy of your pandemic?

It will feel sudden when it happens.

Heed the inklings that come from nowhere — the wordless whispers to refill the gas tank, or give your pops one last hug before you head out.

They will happen before it happens.

They will be quiet.

You will need to be listening.

Do not concern yourself with the perceptions of others, for whom you decline invitations, who scoff at your extra bag of rice, or your insistence on refilling your prescriptions with prudence.

Resist the urge to arm yourself with weapons, or keep the news droning on in the background.

Nourish yourself with food, and rest, and appropriate connection.

Reconsider your priorities, and laugh at your former self who obsessed about things like eyebrow shaping or winning the bowling trophy. Those were the days, and they still count.

(They still count.)

A new day will come after The Thing, and it will be shaped by the way you think and act during the thing. Your vote is comprised of your thoughts, words, and actions, and they matter quite a lot, as you are the one you will live with after.

What is the legacy of your pandemic?

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It’s strange to read this now two full years later.