It is in times like these that you consider the mortality of your being and those around you.
As with most people, there have been people in my life who are standouts, or maybe even heros. This is not to take anything away from those on the front lines of the pandemic. They are true heros in every sense of the word. Considering they put their lives on the line every day, their contributions are immeasurable. In fact, the sacrifices I have seen reported have renewed my faith in mankind. I know with their help we will get through this now.
But there are others who have such an enormous impact on our lives, often without even trying or knowing. They climb mountains to overcome hardship, and just seeing what they do changes how we see life.
For me there is a gentleman I have known for about 6 years. Tom was amazing even before his challenges surfaced. He worked the beet harvest every year, snow skiied and danced every dance at every event we had. When he wasn't doing something notable, he was outdoors hiking or walking or helping someone with a project. This is all incredible because Tom is fit, but no spring chicken.
One day Tom took ill. It got him down like nothing had ever before. The doctors said he had a form of cancer, and it was pretty advanced. They began aggressively treating it with all the skills modern medicine had to offer. They seemed to have the progression slowed, but still the prognosis was not good.
Tom took it upon himself to deny the cancer's grip. He had always been one of the most active men I knew and now he was doubling down on his activity. Rather than take the doctors prognosis sitting on the couch waiting to die, Tom did everything he was doing in the past and much more. He was determined to beat this thing and he did. Today the cancer is in remission and his prognosis is excellent. He doesn't dance any better, but just as consistently. (Just kidding Tom 😁)
Of course you don't know Tom and the point of this is not to introduce him to you. Rather it is an attempt to provide a real example that nothing is impossible no matter the odds. It is also to say that at times like this, someone like Tom makes me feel I can beat this virus thing, even if I should contract it.
I check all the high risk boxes from being a diabetic to having high blood pressure to simply being a male over 65. But I am not sitting on the couch waiting for this bug to attack. I am exercising, doing projects, spending the vast majority of my time outdoors, and feeling very positive about my own prognosis. I hope you are doing the same.
I encourage you to find your hero, stay positive and defeat this damn virus. If you are a smoker or vaper, this is a great time to quit. If you have been living a sedentary lifestyle, this is the time to get active again. You don't need to run a marathon to improve your health and pump up your immune system. Just move. Since grocery shopping is a bit difficult at the moment, consider increasing fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. The stores may not have toilet paper or hand sanitizer, but every one I have been in were stacked full of fresh produce. I suspect that's because it is hard to buy more than you can eat before it spoils, so there is no hording of produce.
I believe in the CDC recommendations for isolation and staying out of large gatherings. (CDC Recommendations) I said I was confident not stupid. Plus it gives you time to think about your life, how you are living it, and how you want to live it in the future. This pandemic has changed me forever...in a very positive way. I will never take anything for granted again. It can all end in a flash.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to share this with anyone who might have an interest.
_______________________________________
Cindy and Terry
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So uplifting, thanks !
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