I have wept more in these past three months than in the prior decade. Not out and out
bawling, but tears trickling, voice breaking and breath caught in fits and starts. The trigger for my tears is not my own situation, but the unimaginable pain and loss and bone-crushing grief being visited upon others who have had their dearly beloveds torn away from them forever by a virus allowed to invade and spread virtually unchecked among people who assumed that such a tragedy could "never happen here".
Just now, I have watched and listened as a woman being interviewed on TV recounted the memories that she and her mother had shared by telephone as the mother lay dying of Covid 19 alone in a hospital---unreachable---unhuggable---where no parting kiss could be given. Holidays, weddings, sunsets over Lake Ontario: all these were lovingly recited in a soft but clear and steady voice. But, near the end of the interview, the reporter said that it broke his heart that she had not been able to hold her mother's hand and say goodbye at the end. And that broke her: the woman's face convulsed as she struggled mightily to get out "Me---TOO!" and her tears streamed.
I was blessed to be able to hold my Mom's hand as she died, but I felt that woman's pain. And, sitting alone, I wept again.
There MUST be consequences, folks. There MUST be consequences.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Thanks Trump! 
Happens all the time. I just burst into tears. I don't know if you are a man or woman. I'm a man, and I'll start blubbering right in front of people. People say I don't "look like a man who would cry". I wear it as a badge of honor. If you're not crying, you're not paying attention. 
everytime I see, hear or think about the people who can't be with family, friends, loved ones as they are sick and/or dying
so sad and so angry, at the same time
It is a site not associated in any way to the Covid 19 crisis but because of the nature of the pandemic everyone there has been impacted in one way or another. Recently a commenter mentioned several losses she had suffered due to the virus. A new person jumped on to say how off topic that was and several other comments she had read were “off topic”. It was breath taking in its coldness and callousness toward the people expressing their grief and sorrow.
We are all impacted by this unfolding horror. Some of us are more directly impacted and are experiencing grief on an unimaginable scale. To expect us to just hold it inside is ridiculous. We are human beings with feelings and emotions that define us as human. To deny that or expect that not to spill out into all aspects of our lives is a form of denial. I have seen usually calm, professional journalists become emotional on air trying to deliver a segment of the news that was especially disturbing. Even some health professionals have been unable to stifle their personal feelings while giving first hand accounts of treating and caring for the covid 19 patients.
We are a community of caring people or we would not bother with DU. We come here precisely because we are expressing our feelings with each other. Our hearts go out to you and many, many others as we all try to make our way through this life changing event. I hope this site will always be one where we can freely express to our fellow DUers the invents in our lives both good and bad. As has been said many times, We are all in this together. And for that reason we need to support each other through all the events in our lives. Even if they are sometimes off topic.
