The day you were born.

Your first steps.

The moment when you saw the sky.

A time not seen.

The War of Independence.

The war between the states.

The war for human rights.

A time not seen.

Before smartphones.

Before telephone poles.

Before the telegraph wire.

A time not seen.

The edge of the universe.

The edge of our solar system.

The edge of despair in the human heart.

A time not seen.

Like a toddler new to the world, America is about to take a step into the future.

It would appear reason and ignorance are evenly balanced.

The balance point is the virus.

Science and its companion medicine shout out warnings to step back.

This country has seen death before.

But not at the hands of such a merciless God as this virus.

It laughs at a few hundred thousand.

The grim skull of the virus will not be complete until it takes millions of lives from coast to coast.

Too many want to step off the cliff to see what happens.

If only those who want to tempt fate were the ones to lose their lives.

You cannot stop a fool from shooting their own foot off.

However, the determination of those who want to ignore reality is committing a kind of social suicide.

They don't want to go alone.

They're not going without taking us with them.

Their hatred of government, laws, restrictions, minorities, and women spurs them over the cliff like lemmings.

The jaws of the virus feed at the bucket of the prejudiced.

What makes America worse at handling this global crisis?

Racism.

Both ethnic and economic.

A time is rapidly approaching that has not been seen.

Unless and until there is an effective vaccine, the virus will mount bodies to the sky.

This country has not seen a million people perish in one crisis.

Other nations have.

Other nations came out on the other side.

Different.

Matured.

They came to understand the value of one human life.

We, as a nation, have not learned that lesson.

This nation is falling and does not recognize its descent.

Let us change the trajectory.

Let us challenge the fear.

Let us make this a time not seen.

A time where compassion is our guide.

A time when hope is the arm that comforts us.

A time when love asks each of us to do more each and every day.

Let us, please, see that too many have died.

Do something now.

Peace

Daniel J Frey aka Toby

I have seen them on the Earth.

As an orderly for five years.

As the son of an RN, Elaine Frey.

As the husband of RN Denny Frey, she cares for her patients in the ICU.

I have seen angels on the Earth.

I have seen nurses wipe the bloody wounds clean.

Watched as they laughed about a daytime TV show.

Heard them cry after the patient's family had left the bedside of their loved one who had passed.

I watched as they prepared a meal after a long day at work.

Listened to them tell a doctor to pay attention to their patient who is in need.

I felt cared for when I was sick, told to take my medicine, and forced to drink fluids.

Brotherhood, as they helped me prepare the bodies of those who had passed to take to the morgue.

A team, while the nurses hung IV meds, wrote quick nurses' notes, bagged the patient, and I did the CPR.

Sitting down after a long night to have a donut, but they're all gone.

The Doctors ate them.

Saw them wheel a female patient in a wheelchair up to OBGYN; it's their first baby.

Was there as they filled out the patients' chart?

Was there as they took the call from the attending physician?

Assisted in holding the patient while they cleaned and washed those who had soiled themselves.

Was there when it was their first day on the job?

Was there when it was their last day.

Angels.

They were there when they retired.

There when they put their feet up.

The hands of a nurse are a contradiction.

They are strong and able to turn 300-pound patients.

They are rough and cracked from years of constant washing.

They are also filled with an unbounded understanding of the true meaning of love.

Love never asks for less.

Love asks all of us to do more than expected.

Angels do more than expected.

The crisis of a generation is upon us all.

We are all grateful that we are not alone in this world to face it.

There are angels there to catch us should we stumble.

Catch us as we fall.

Angels who bring the light of hope.

Thank you.

Peace

Daniel J Frey aka Toby