Normalizing Care

When cases rise, they rise. The risk now is higher than ever.

Some things I think about…

Even going for a ride in the car is a risk. A friend got in a car accident (fault: other driver) and was taken to the ER in an ambulance, where my friend could have been exposed to the virus.

Let’s say I go for a ride and my car breaks down. I’d have the AAA person coming and a trip to a service station in my future. Is that all safe?

Another friend is currently in quarantine after a trip to the dentist resulted in contact with a person who subsequently tested positive.

I keep thinking: something we’ve done a dozen times isn’t necessarily safe. It’s just that the odds haven’t caught up yet. Next time could be the time.

Something that feels safe isn’t necessarily safe. Our feelings are the opposite of helpful — they’re convincing us of things that aren’t true.

I’ve twice had the vital duty of being in the hospital room when a family member dies. What if I couldn’t have been? What if no family could be there? I can barely think about this without tearing up. What if it were me in the hospital, and my family couldn’t be there — what would that do to them?

What if a family member has a heart attack and can’t even get a bed in the ICU?

What if I give the virus to a family member and they die?

Anyway: please be careful. I know there’s pressure not to. But thousands of people alive and healthy today will be dead by New Year’s. Being careful saves lives.