Seasons of loss

There are no happy thoughts today, and no energy that can bring up past memories as compensation. I have heard of multiple deaths in the extended family over the past week: some who I knew well, and others who were names and just a memory of how they were related to me. I tried to avoid talking about the pandemic here, because it felt like Covid was everywhere and all we were talking about. But today, I don't see an escape. The pandemic has crept into every aspect of life, like water seeping into the foundations of a building and creating ugly stains on every wall - we cannot ignore it for long.

It is also the month of Ramzan (Ramadan) and somehow that has made the pandemic more difficult, specially for people observing fasts in countries like Pakistan. Ramzan is already difficult due to sky-high prices of necessities, but the added burden of Covid - I don't even want to go there. I don't know how people are surviving it. I do know how people are dying: deprived of medication, medical attention and even oxygen. And I don't know how to help.

We were lucky in the US to be able to get vaccinated and have a government that is actually functioning since January 20th, 2021. Some of us are lucky to be able to work from home, lucky to get groceries delivered, I guess just lucky to be alive. I wonder what people who thought the virus was a hoax think of what's happening in India? Is it still a conspiracy spread by the 'left'? Is it Bill Gates trying to manipulate and microchip people around the world? Are these patients struggling to breathe, gasping for air, are they all paid actors? Is wearing a mask such a terrible idea? Is following precautions that much of a burden on their 'freedoms'?

I hate to ramble, but I have a lot of anger and frustration at those who never took this pandemic seriously. They were, and are, the reason for a lot of the damage that has been done around the world as this virus spreads. Their misguided beliefs in not wanting to wear a mask, not following precautions and not taking a vaccine are more important than someone's right to breathe or survive. How pathetic these idiots and how pathetic their lives...

We lost so many, and the scariest thing is - we don't know the extent of damage done to those who got sick but survived. We don't know how many more we will lose by the time the virus subsides. I just hope we don't hear of another loss at all.