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Saturday, May 30, 2020

I see you. I'm grateful.

by Holly Yang (@hollyby)

Thoughts as I drove to work at the hospital today:

For people and families who stay 6 feet away and wear a mask, buff, or bandana when they work out near others, enjoy busy outdoor spaces, or walk their dog, I see you. I’m grateful.

For grocery, retail, postal, delivery, restaurant and all other essential workers who take care of us with careful hygiene, clean spaces, and by showing up and being professional despite encountering lots of stressed out people, I see you. I’m grateful.

For good citizens who are kind and respectful to grocery, retail, postal, delivery, restaurant and all other essential workers, and those who stand with them against abuse, I see you. I’m grateful.

For people who check in on their friends and neighbors who are high-risk for COVID, or support those who need help due to illness, financial distress, mental health issues, or all of the above, I see you. I’m grateful.

For parents trying to work, teach their kids, and provide a safe and happy place for them despite the disruption of the pandemic, I see you. I’m grateful.

For those of you who have learned how to bake bread, planted a garden, created art, performed music, and found small ways to restore a sense of expectant hope in spite of the chaos, I see you. I’m grateful.

For those of you who are graduating, who are starting a new job or making a pivot, or embarking on anything new in this difficult time, I see you. I’m grateful.

For those of you who volunteer at food banks, deliver food to the homebound, donate blood, foster kids, support nonprofits, participate in research, help animal rescues, or find other ways to give despite the uncertainty in your own life, I see you. I'm grateful.

For first responders and people who work in hospitals, nursing homes and care facilities, hospices, and people’s homes… for caregivers of all kinds who risk illness to continue their critical role, I see you. I’m grateful.

For those speaking up and advocating for communities of color and residents of nursing homes who have experienced the disproportionate burden of illness and death during this pandemic, I see you. I’m grateful.

For the broken-hearted who are separated from loved ones, those who worry for the sick, and people who grieve those who have died of COVID or other causes, I see you. I hurt with you, and hope you find comfort.

For those who feel hopeless, guilty, fearful, angry, or who can’t sleep because of the stress of illness, loneliness, job loss, financial difficulty, or the deep uncertainty we live in, I see you. I hope you find peace and support.

For everyone who just wishes things were “normal” or at least less uncertain, and who feel restless and frustrated, I see you. I hope you discover ways to find joy while keeping our communities safe.

For all of you doing the best you can each day to get by with compassion for yourself and others, who make mistakes and try again with large or small selfless acts for the good of our community, our nation, our world, I see you...and I am so incredibly grateful.

Originally published on Twitter and reprinted here with permission.

Find more posts by Holly Yang on Pallimed here.

Holly Yang, MD is a palliative medicine physician at Scripps Health. Passionate about hospice and palliative care, communication skills, medical education, and increased access to health care

Saturday, May 30, 2020 by Pallimed Editor ·

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