The New York Times reported this morning that, by its count, one million Americans have now died of Covid 19. Of course, the number is likely higher due to underreporting. Johns Hopkins has tallied 6,262,000 deaths worldwide and counting. Numbers like that are hard to comprehend. Stalin was quoted as saying, “A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths are a statistic.” Only the truth is that these are a million tragedies, and none of us are immune from such losses, whether they be family, friends, or merely the loss of opportunities in the two years of lives put on hold. The Week posted a thoughtful and sad perspective on the loss from a historical reference.
Perhaps the saddest number of all is that 300,000 to 400,000 Americans have died after choosing not to be vaccinated. There are no words to explain or to understand the sadness of such needless loss, and yet the emptiness is there and real.
As one ages, one often takes to reading obituaries, a form of news that grows more relevant than the day’s headlines. Perhaps reading COVID obituaries is an appropriate remembrance for today. NBC reported on a number, early in the pandemic. The Washington Post noted some as well this week, while also marking one million lost lives. Perhaps we should each select one life lost and offer a prayer or at least a remembrance, hoping to summon the will to carry on a bit closer to each other.
