Turn on the light

My nine-year-old grandson understands the Coronavirus pandemic, where it started, and how it has affected his world. Recently, when we had our Zoom visit, he said that most people dying from the virus are older. I remembered once when he asked me if his Papa and I were old. So, I thought I’d find a way to assure him we were OK.

“I’m writing a story on how light helps us to see better in the dark,” I told him. “Are you afraid of the dark?”

“Sometimes, when I think I see something scary in the dark,” he said.

“What do you do when you think you see scary things in the dark,” I asked him. “I turn the light on,” he said.

“Sometimes what we don’t know can be scary, too, I explained. That is why it is important to ask questions.”

And then I explained to him that most of the older people getting the coronavirus were already very sick, and most survived.

“Papa and  I are not sick. We are well and doing all the things we need to do to be safe.” I could see a change in his face, kind of like a light that went on in his head.

Children and some adults don’t often know how to express their fears and ask the right questions.

As we slowly emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic’s darkness, getting the facts is essential to turn the light back on in our lives and stop being afraid.

The Covid-19 pandemic is tragic, but it has been unfortunate during a presidential election year. The American people might have been treated with more respect and given more accurate information if the politicians and mainstream media were not working more for themselves than those who pay for exemplary leadership and unbiased reporting.

Recently, after three months of giving people a choice of wearing a mask, the governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, decided to make it mandatory to wear a mask in public indoor areas.

Unfortunately, the news shows the governor on a beach the weekend before giving that order taking close selfies with people around him without any apparent social distancing.

The sad and confusing thing about this mandate is that his actions speak louder than his words, making it difficult for people to take him seriously. Therefore, we have a right to ask questions.

There have been mixed messages about wearing masks to prevent the spread of this coronavirus. Still, there has never been any confusion about hand washing and social distancing in the presence of a contagious virus.

According to the CDC, experts didn’t know in the beginning that people with COVID-19 could spread the virus before symptoms appeared. Nor was it known that some people have COVID-19 but don’t have any symptoms. As a result, both groups can unknowingly spread the virus to others. 

That’s why they say masks help inside a building.

Another question about the governor’s mandate is that southwest Virginia is unlike Northern Virginia. For example, we have experienced very few positive Covid-19 cases compared to Northern Virginia, where our daughter lives in Fairfax County.

My daughter said, “Mom, it’s a lot different here. We’ve had over 10,000 cases and almost 1000 deaths. So for us, wearing a mask is no different than the no shoes, no shirt, no service businesses require to enter their building. It’s just that right now, that includes no masks.”

Many people in our town have said they will take their business elsewhere before they would wear a mask in every public indoor area.

However, I love our town and the people who are part of our life here. I don’t want our businesses to fail, and I don’t want to offend others who fear not wearing masks.

Wearing masks while in public indoor areas is not only law in Virginia but also in other states.

Recently,  I realized something when I  saw an older friend wearing a mask walking toward me. When she saw me, her eyes lit up. But then I saw a little fear because I didn’t have a mask on, and a light went on in my heart.

I learned a scripture lesson as a young person in I Corinthians 8:9: “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”

I am not saying that everyone who wears a mask is weak. I am saying that I don’t want to cause someone to be afraid. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

My husband has serious health issues and became very sick last week. On my way to the hospital, I prayed he had not contracted the coronavirus. Thank God he had not, but it changed my perspective.

I remember when the no-smoking signs appeared in restaurants in 2006. I was so grateful because secondary smoke makes me very sick, especially since I was a child that inhaled secondary smoke my entire young life.

The truth is we’ve all been well-educated on how to avoid contracting this virus and how not to transmit it to others. However, we are responsible for using common sense, taking the necessary precautions, and doing what best for ourselves, our families, and those around us is. 

And that’s my point. It isn’t just about my rights and comfort. It’s also about those around us.

As far as this governor and all the other elected politicians in this country, we have every right to question their motives, behavior, and decisions. We should question them. And then we should vote them out of office if we are unsatisfied with their answers!