April 2021 Blog How do you make your biggest and boldest stand in the world?

How do you make your biggest and boldest stand in the world? 

What fuels you? 

This month we had Earth Day and it is Stress Awareness Month. Is that coincidental? 

How has the pandemic reduced your carbon footprint? 

Less air travel? Fewer trips around town? 

We were going out of our house so infrequently last year that a mallard hen laid nine eggs next to our front porch. A few weeks later, Proud Mama walked her nine hatchlings down to the creek behind the house, never to be seen again. 

A mating pair has been dining at our bird feeder lately but now that we’re vaccinated and feeling a little more adventurous, I think the increased traffic on the porch may preclude this year’s nesting activities. 

Do what you can to protect Mother Nature. Make sure you responsibly dispose of your masks. 1.5 billion masks ended up in the ocean in 2020.

We were just in Seattle visiting our son for the first time in 14 months. This is a city that has its mask mandate firmly entrenched. Even when we were walking in the park, we kept our face coverings on. 

To date, there have been 573,000 deaths in the US due to complications related to COVID. I think of the heartache of friends and family members who couldn’t be at the bedside at the time of their loved one’s death. Or attend funerals or weddings. 

People continue to contract this potentially deadly disease. Many recover but navigate life with long-lasting side effects and health implications.  

A troubling statistic that has gone relatively under-noticed is that 95% of deaths from COVID are in people aged 50 and over. 

What will the impact be on our collective stories? There are so many times I’d like to ask my parents one more question about our family history. As the elders in our families and communities, we have the wisdom and carry the stories the younger generations seek. 

Again, as of April 27, 2021, the number of people killed by COVID in the US is 573,000. 

Here’s the math. Multiply 573K by 95%. 

The total number of people who’ve died in the US who are age 50+ is 544,000. 

That is over half a million of our elders have died since March 2020. 

What a staggering number. 

Stay safe so that we are the force that allows the traditions of our relatives to continue. 

Be here and create new memories to be shared with our loved ones. 

Get vaccinated, wear your mask, and stay socially distanced when in a crowd. 

During stress awareness month, reduce your stress and express your gratitude for your health. 

Just like Mama Duck, feather your nest. 

Take a walk on Mother Earth. 

Celebrate life. 

As a 50+ elder, you carry on the culture and customs of your family. 

You are a keeper of the interrelatedness of life. 

You matter. 

This one life is your chance to make your biggest and boldest stand in the world. 

How will you make it? 

Sending love, 

Kathy