As I write this there have been over 117,000 deaths so far from the Covid 19 virus, so far, the US alone. That number is staggering to me, as it surpasses all the lives lost in armed conflicts since and including the Korean Conflict up to the present day.
Think about it, if you combine the total lives lost in armed conflict from Korea, through Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iran and Afghanistan.
At least those are the numbers I see posted as to lives lost. Of course those are only counting the American lives lost.
How many families were decimated and destroyed during those other conflicts. Not just the Americans, but those in the aforementioned countries.
I have no idea how to even gather those figures, so I'll just focus on one group, for right now. And that is the Americans.
For every person who has died from Covid 19, a family has been left bereft. Mothers, Fathers, Children, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, Nieces and Nephews, Cousins. Every single family who have been touched by a death from this disease has lost not only a family member, but also maybe the family historian, the family comedian, the family screwup, the list can go on and on.
Think about it, if you combine the total lives lost in armed conflict from Korea, through Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iran and Afghanistan.
At least those are the numbers I see posted as to lives lost. Of course those are only counting the American lives lost.
How many families were decimated and destroyed during those other conflicts. Not just the Americans, but those in the aforementioned countries.
I have no idea how to even gather those figures, so I'll just focus on one group, for right now. And that is the Americans.
For every person who has died from Covid 19, a family has been left bereft. Mothers, Fathers, Children, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, Nieces and Nephews, Cousins. Every single family who have been touched by a death from this disease has lost not only a family member, but also maybe the family historian, the family comedian, the family screwup, the list can go on and on.
So many of those who died, were alone, no family, no friends were with them. Just medical personnel, who are stretched beyond endurance to just take care of the sick, never mind the dying.
People couldn't say their final goodbyes to loved ones, could not succor their families grief. I can't even imagine how isolating that is. I got to sit with my mother as she lay dying many years ago, got to say goodbye, say a final I love you. So many children, spouses, siblings couldn't do that, and the grief has to be overwhelming. My grief was tempered, I was able to share the ending of my mother's life with my siblings, we all were there for her and each other. But not being able to be with a parent or child or spouse as they passed on, the grief and the ongoing guilt some feel has got to be overwhelming in the extreme.
I don't know where we'll go from here, the pandemic seems to be ongoing, masks that could and in my opinion, should be worn in public, are not being worn.
So many people have lost not only jobs, but businesses and livelihoods, and are on the brink or have passed the brink and are jobless and or homeless. And there doesn't seem to be a definite end in sight.
Just a few thoughts.
