Thread by @sd_grace12

My mother is interred at the AZ National Memorial Cemetery and today is her birthday. I was there early this morning to bring her flowers and spend some time in the quiet.

As I was leaving, my sadness turned to anger. 1/ #COVID19 #vote

A white hearse was waiting at the entrance with one lone car behind it, a man and woman in dark clothing waiting to say goodbye to their loved one. 2/

Monday through Friday are the burials of veterans and their spouses. Before #COVID19 there would be dozens of cars lined up behind that hearse, family and friends waiting to say goodbye, to celebrate the life lived, to support one another in their grief. 3/

But now, we can't even grieve together.

These two people should not be alone. They should not be burying their family member by themselves. 4/

My first thought was to go stand with them, but I can't do that, even with a mask on it's a risk I can't take nor would I want them to take it either. 5/

My second thought was anger - anger at this illness that has taken so much from our world, anger at this administration for sitting on it's hands hoping it will just "disappear," anger at those unwilling to wear a mask because it "infringes on their freedoms,"... 6/

...just so much anger!

Granted, I don't know these two people - I don't know their situation or the circumstances of the death of the person that was being buried today. We make up stories and make assumptions to fit the narrative we want to put forward. 7/

But my anger is real and rather than let it fester, I will do what I can to help reduce transmission - I will continue to be vigilant in wearing a mask, washing my hands, and isolating as much as possible until a reliable vaccine is found. 8/ #COVID19 #vote

In addition to that - I WILL VOTE! I will support candidates that can have rational conversations and can come up with reasonable solutions for resolving this pandemic, in addition to healthcare, immigration, climate change, justice reform, 9/ #COVID19 #vote

as well as women's rights, LGBTQ rights, education, foreign policy, and military spending.

I often think about how my mom would have responded to our current circumstances - the isolation, the protests, the continued unresponsiveness of the state and federal government. 10/

If you knew my mom, she definitely had opinions and I know she would be voicing them even louder now. She always had this undercurrent of righteous indignation which became more visible as she got older. 11/ #respectyourelders

We may not have always agreed on everything, but I feel the need to dip my toe into that undercurrent of hers, to not only understand where it came from but to find a way to use it for good...12/

...so that no one else needs to stand alone at another grave site or Face Time a loved one in the hospital.

If you can (safely) hug your loved ones, do it. If you can call your loved ones, do it. If you can write your loved ones, do it. If you are registered to vote, do it. 13/

If you aren't registered to vote, REGISTER TO VOTE. #RegisterToVote2020

vote.org
vote.gov
rockthevote.org

If you've read this far, thank you for allowing me to share. 14/14

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