Dear Editor,

I want to be mad. I want to be mad at the virus and the government. I want to be mad at people taking all the toilet paper and the person in the express lane with too much stuff or standing too close to me. I want to be angry at the guy turning right on red in front of me and especially, angry that I can’t see family and friends. I want to hate social distancing. But, I can’t because of what this horrible virus has shown all of us.

Every day, I see so much good because of COVID-19. People are doing so many extraordinary things, like delivering meals to the elderly and singing on the balcony in a little town in Italy. Musicians playing free concerts on the internet. College students acting together as one while being separated by miles and sometimes continents. Young people collecting food so they can contribute to foodbanks. Teachers and schools finding ways to provide meals to their families. Cashiers and supermarket checkout persons who used to say “have a nice day” or “thank you” are now saying, “stay safe” and I really feel that they mean it. I say it and I do mean it. No one wants to see anyone get touched by this awful enemy. Above all, I see the medical professionals putting themselves in harm’s way to keep us as safe as possible. God bless them. I see them tired, exhausted, and so incredibly stressed and still they persevere. I don’t think any of us will ever be able to thank them enough.

This sickness doesn’t care where you live or the color of your skin. It doesn’t care If you are Republican or Democrat, rich or poor, young or old. It is truly blind to everything that seems to separate us except the one thing that is all of us. That we are HUMAN. It is our humanity the Coronavirus is forcing us to come to terms with. I am so Inspired to see that we are obliging.

I don’t want to see anyone get sick or worse. I don’t want to see the numbers continue to rise here or anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, that is happening and will continue. When we overcome this obstacle, I hope that we remember how incredibly easy it has been for us to be HUMAN. How easy it is to care about one another. How touched we all have been over the courage of others and the monumental force we are as ONE HUMAN RACE.

Mark Kefalos

St. Clairsville