From my friend, Torleiv, in Norway his Christmas letter, which he sends in both Norwegian and English, begins with this paragraph. (English version 😐)
"This year has been very special for many of us because of the Corona pandemic. We have been looking for new ways for contact with relatives, friends and colleagues. The situation has stimulated our attention and attentiveness. Our personal interests have to give way for care of the fellowship. Strangely enough distance has become a sign of loving one's neighbor."
Torleiv is absolutely correct "distance has become a sign of loving one's neighbor." When the pandemic was first settling in I, and others, were thinking "we should respond, do something" and then realized that the best thing we could do was stay home...that "distance..(was)...a sign of loving one's neighbor." Apparently this is a very difficult lesson given the restlessness about rules related to COVID prevention.
She was a young girl living through the Spanish Flu Epidemic a hundred years ago. In her Christmas letter, Tilly, age 107, writes "I had a COVID test in the last half of November that turned up positive. So, guess what happened? I was sent to another part of the nursing home and quarantined in my room. As of the writing of this, I am expecting to be back in my own room the 1st few days of December. Once again Merry Christmas and, hopefully, a better new year in 2021."
Do you suppose Tilly will set a record for being the oldest person to survive COVID? What a woman! You go Tilly! Tilly's picture is up on my door, near the picture of Torleiv and his wife Brit Maria, and all the others who have sent pictures..."a cloud of witnesses" that warms me!
Takk for alt,
Al
PS As much as I treasure Christmas mail I'll not be sending any this year. This blog and some phone calls will need to suffice.
No comments:
Post a Comment