In mid-March I wrote about the seriousness of COVID‑19. At the time I didn’t realize how personally devastating the pandemic would become for my family. We have lost a loved one to COVID, and endured other painful consequences that have changed us forever.
2020 Cancelled
I felt fear and hunkered down in early March, before daily life paused and much of 2020 fell away. While many people were still traveling or taking vacations, our lives shifted abruptly and permanently.
It Was The Worst Of Times
All the foresight in the world did little to prepare my family for the losses we faced. I once wrote that it was “the best of times, the worst of times.” Today, the worst-of-times feels painfully real.
COVID And Our Loved Ones
COVID has exacted staggering losses across communities, the kind of grief that is too broad and deep to fully describe here. Below are some of the ways my family has been affected.
Losing A Loved One To COVID
We lost a family member. We lost a family friend. Two people who mattered to us are gone, and their absence is a daily reality we cannot escape.
COVID Rampant Danger
A healthy young cousin was hit hard by COVID‑19. It was nothing like a routine flu. He joined our Zoom Passover Seder briefly, and just two weeks later he looked as if he had been struck by a truck. The illness can be swift and severe, even in those who seemed robust.
Praying For Our Health Warriors
A close friend works as a nurse on the front lines in New York City. She shows up day after day despite shortages of personal protective equipment and the constant risk. She isn’t thinking of herself—she wants to save lives. I pray she remains safe and returns home to those who love her.
9/11 x Ten = 30,000 Dead
The virus has claimed tens of thousands of American lives. That scale of loss—equivalent to multiple 9/11s—has unfolded in weeks, and the death toll continues to rise. Hearing claims that this is a “hoax” is unbearable when so many have suffered and died.
The Opposite Of Preparedness
The word “unprepared” brings me to tears. It calls to mind decisions that weakened our public health infrastructure, and a lack of urgency while other nations mobilized against an invisible and lethal threat. Denial and delay are the opposite of the readiness needed to protect communities.
Patriotic Americans
This moment calls for a form of patriotism rooted in courage and honest self-examination. It is a time to grieve, to recognize our shared vulnerability, and to reassess how we show up for family and neighbor. We must ask how we can be better citizens and better people in service of one another.
A Time For Self-Reflection
True patriotism now means learning from mistakes and working to improve systems that failed so many. We should honor those lost needlessly to this virus and commit to building a more prepared, compassionate, and effective response for the future. We can do better.