We’re seeing more signs of recovery, both in the economy and in the slowdown of COVID-19 deaths. Still, the pandemic maintains its firm grip on the country and on our lives.
There are steps we can take to reset, recover and heal. Here are stories of resilience and ways we can adapt to find joy, or at least collective sorrow, as the pandemic ranges on.
Lazy Days and Long Nights
The description of this story from Fast Company caught our eye: “Warmer spring days provide an opportunity to refresh your usual tired routine.” We think our collective routine for the past 14 months is getting a tad tiresome by this point. Some of the advice from a time-management coat isn’t always applicable, but it is a reminder to rethink how we spend our days and nights.
And maybe, just maybe, when we wake up tomorrow, we can view seize the next 24 hours with fresh eyes and ditch feeling like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day.” However, if you want to spend part of your evening losing yourself in an updated version of life on repeat, we recommend “Palm Springs” on Hulu. J.K. Simmon’s character is all of us right now.
Read the advice here, then get outside for a solo walk or socially distant meet up.
Running on Empty
After more than a year couped up at home, Americans are poised to hit the road. Those plans may come to a halt even before hitting the freeway, not because of health or safety concerns. At least, not entirely.
The next possible COVID-19 related shortage: gasoline, or more specifically, tanker truck drivers. Chris Isidore reports that the National Tank Truck Carriers estimates that 20% to 25% of tank trucks are parked because of a lack of qualified drivers.
High driver turnover and retirements, driver school shutdowns, training and certification process and the new FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has created a perfect storm. Already sporadic gasoline outages have been reported in Florida, Arizona and Northwest Missouri during the recent Spring Break period. "Imagine the hoarding with toilet paper and topping off of gas tanks that we see after hurricanes and you can see what might happen," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service to CNN Business.
Read the full article here.
Mourning During COVID-19
My aunt died last summer. The family invited family and close friends to gather outside at the burial site. There was no service and no viewing. For the millions of others who have lost someone in the past year, due to COVID-19 or other causes, we have not been mourn their losses in, for lack of a more tactful phrasing, traditional way.
I didn’t realize I previously took the rituals of grieving for granted, but it is now apparent to me how much I needed them. How much we collectively need those familiar traditions—and loved ones surrounding us—as we mourn and heal. I can’t even begin to imagine what those COVID-19 hospital patients and their loved ones who couldn’t be there on those final days, hours and minutes must still feel.
The New York Times has started a virtual memorial for all those lost but not forgotten. Readers were asked to share photos of objects that remind them of their loved ones. As someone who has such fond memories of cooking in the kitchen, David Knutson’s image of his aunt’s rolling pin that she used to make kolaches with, left a lasting impression.
View, or submit to, the gallery here.
