RD&T’s contributing writer, Lauren Rice, shares some of the lessons that are coming from these difficult times. Despite being physically apart, we can still connect with others. 

Many areas in the United States and around the world are opening up in the coming days and weeks. This has left us with mixed reactions and emotions. Spikes in cases are seen in the American South and countries like Brazil and Russia are experiencing continued rises in cases. Experts and common sense warned us that this would be the case, as the single greatest risk factor for any person in contracting the virus seems to be the one thing: exposure. However, over 39 million people have filed for unemployment or government assistance here in the US alone, and these people, understandably, want to have the opportunity to earn a living and support their families.

So many voices have been swirling around, with valid concerns on both sides of what seems to have become a heavily politicized issue. Hairdressers and bike shops know they are valuable to those they serve, yet well-meaning governmental organizations may declare otherwise. There will be an end to the fear of contagion…but what will life be like next year, or the year after, when the economy and perhaps culture as well are re-shaped? What form will “essential” take? What (or who) will we collectively decide is important? If the coronavirus has demonstrated anything, and it has shown us many things, one of the most compelling is how it has highlighted that precisely because of our vulnerabilities or differences, we are the same.