I’m on version three…maybe four of this post. With so much going on, I honestly don’t know where to start. There’s continued concern about the pandemic, piled on top of COVID burnout. A fear of loved ones falling ill, the economic ramifications — to our economy as a whole, and to our families, our communities, here at home. As our anxiety and stress ramps up, Zoom happy hours trail off, and the “new normal” starts to take hold. Of course, no one really knows what that means.

And then we’re hit with another awful reality. The video and images out of Minneapolis…of George Floyd pinned down, begging for the right to breathe. The lessons, I feel, are coming at us from all sides. At first, they were whispers: “Pssst…do you see what’s happening overseas? A mysterious illness. What will you value? What will take precedent?”

Then the whispers grew louder: “You’re not listening, so the tough decisions will be made for you. You’ve got to dig deeper to remember, to understand what matters. This is bigger than you.”

Then the screams: “We will come together or be further divided. You see the inequities with your own eyes. Will you still ignore it? Will you scrounge at the bottom of the barrel for a reason to turn away? Will you blame the looters and point to the riots…cast aside the ugly truth beneath it all? The choice is yours — and the decisions you make, the actions you take, the words you deliver — they matter now, more than ever. What will you do…”