Standing Into Danger: Covid-19

Showing posts with label Covid-19. Show all posts

Friday, April 29, 2022

Just a Little Rain

Today I walked down into the park and meandered along Piney Creek,

even though the sky threatened rain, the wind was rising, and the temperature falling.

It had been so long since I visited my favorite trees and parts of the creek ~

not since October 20th last fall, surely a record absence for me.

The City Park Beckons

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

"My" Middle Pond

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

The landscape is slowly waking from its winter sleep,

still drowsy in its dormant shades of taupe.

Blades of young grass and the occasional brave and perky dandelion clump

poke through, a promise vibrancy to come.

Blades of Green Grass

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Perky Dandelions

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Some find the landscape dreary and drab in this lingering pause

between winter and spring, but to me it is a riot of forms and textures and quiet surprises.

Pause Between Winter and Spring ~ #1

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

A Quiet Surprise, One Curly Eyebrow of Blue Grama Grass,

Bouteloua gracilis, among Dead, Dried Flowers

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Ready for Occupancy ~ Corrugated Architecture

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Purpose Fulfilled

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Pause Between Winter and Spring ~ #2

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Walking along Piney Creek Creek today filled me with peace and hope,

two feelings I need to sustain myself when the world feels increasingly dark and dangerous.

When Covid first struck over two years ago we were lifted up

by selfless heroes and a sense of togetherness.

Those feelings seem naive now.

But I stumbled across a reminder of that time of encouragement

when we tried to buoy each other: a painted rock now tossed from the path.

And I remembered that hope and peace can appear suddenly and in unexpected places.

Peace Be with You!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

I wanted to walk longer and revisit more favorite places in the park,

but the wind turned squally and cold and rain began to sprinkle.

Time to dash for my car, fingers crossed that the dark skies wouldn't release a downpour.

Somber Skies

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Nature's Palette Reflected in a Manmade Palette

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Stipples of Rain Mean It's Time to Run!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

As I walked along Piney Creek, one of the gentlest protest songs

from almost a half century ago was running through my mind:

What Have They Done to the Rain?

Gentle in melody, plaintive in lyrics, smoke referencing Strontium-90 in the air,

Malvina Reynolds' song pops up in my memories at unexpected times.

It's severely dry here. Climate change is likely to blame.

And I can't help thinking What have we done to our rain?

Originally the song was a protest against above ground nuclear testing.

I hope we can retreat from the brink of our current and unlooked for nuclear threat.

The environment is struggling enough without having to worry about radioactive rain again.

Yes, struggling and worrying, because the environment may be intrinsically conscious.

What Have They Done to the Rain ~ The Searchers

YouTube

A Burst of Hope Near My Front Door

as I Arrived Home

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Wishing you peace and hope and rain to make spring bloom.

*********

Months ago I was participating in my friend Rain's Thursday Art Date,

but circumstances forced me to put that aside.

Today I'm joining in again for her theme Leaves and Branches.

Here are three photos for the prompt:

Leaves (Dead and Baby-new) and Branches #1

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Leaves (Dead and Duckweed) and Branches (Reeds) #2

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

Leaves and Branches (and Blossoms) #3

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 27, 2022

I'll be back on Wednesday, May 4th for Insecure Writer's Support Day.

If you haven't visited this critically-recognized site for writers, I invite you to do so.

Its purpose is to share and to encourage.

Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak.

Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance.

It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

(The home page for the IWSG: https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com )

This Wednesday members have the option of answering this question in their posts:

It's the best of times; it's the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?

(The sign-up page for the IWSG Blog with a list of blogging members:

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html )

Stay hopeful and creative!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, May 8, 2020

On the Intrinsic Value of Human Life

Today I need to speak up about something that is profoundly upsetting me.
During the Covid-19 crisis it seems like human life
has become increasingly cheap in the United States.

I have actually been told to my face that it's okay
if a bunch of old people are killed by the virus
because it's just cleaning out the dead wood.
And, it's okay if old or sick people die
because we're getting rid of burdens on society.

THIS IS NOT OKAY!

Every human life has value, no matter how old an individual is,
how sick, how disabled.
Every human being has the inherent right to be treated with dignity and with compassion.
No individual is more valuable than another.

Sheltered by Love from My Beginning

My Mother and Father with Me

Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada

March 1950

I believe that the vast majority of people around the world value human life.
I think the people who are cheapening human life are the tiny minority,
but they are grabbing the headlines.
I am afraid that if we don't stand up for the intrinsic value of every human life,
we will slide into an acceptance of getting rid of
the "dead wood" and "burdens" on society.

Loving Care

My Mother with Me

Stanhope Beach, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Summer 1951

Loving Fun

My Mother with Me

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Summer 1952

Loving Celebrations

My Mother with Me at My 6th Birthday Celebration ~
Delayed by the Birth of my sister Barb

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Spring 1956

Abraham Lincoln, a great American president said,
"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
This is a time for us to stand up for the value every human life.

I am posting some treasured pictures of my mother,
the most amazing human being I have ever known.
When she died, when I saw her take her last breath,
I begged God to let her breathe even one more time,
because I couldn't bear to lose this magnificent human being,
this person I loved with everything in me.

Sara Margaret MacDonald MacBeath

She might have callously been viewed
by some stranger as "dead wood" or "a burden,"
but to me and the people who loved her, she was irreplaceable.

Almost twenty years later there is a hole in my heart
because I love and miss my mother so much.

I posted these words on Facebook this morning,
after a discussion about this topic with my sister Donnie last night.
As we talked I realized that it was shameful for me to stay silent.
I woke up knowing I had to speak out, say something.

My Parents Dating

(My Dad is Wearing a Bowtie)

Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada

Circa 1946

Their Wedding Day

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

September 4, 1948

Their Honeymoon

Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

September 5 or 6, 1948

A friend of mine told me in a comment
about the despicable treatment of an elderly neighbor,
a neighbor she described as "the most amazing lady,
someone she absolutely loves.

This lady is in her mid-eighties.
She went out for a walk yesterday and encountered two people
who were walking while holding hands and blocking the entire sidewalk.
She asked them to give her a little space, and they responded,
"Why don't you just stay home, old woman."
She answered sadly that she hoped they wouldn't get the virus.

It's heartbreaking to know that some people
feel empowered to treat others in such a callous way.
They do not understand the phrase,
"There but for the grace of God, go I."

Perhaps they haven't lived long enough to understand
how fragile life is and how it can change in a heartbeat.
They can't imagine, in their youth and healthiness,
that they might suffer a devastating illness or accident
that leads to their incapacitation or their dependence on others.
They can't imagine that someday, if they are fortunate,
they will live to be as old.

We cannot treat others like this.
We need to support civility;
but even more importantly,
we need to stand up for the value of every single human life.

It is my deepest hope that we learn from this surreal and difficult time,
that we recognize the importance of every human being,
that we build a better and more equal world.
We cannot sit back and be silent.

Throughout this post I have shared pictures of my mother.
I encourage everyone to share stories and photos
of the irreplaceable people in their lives.
Let's counteract callousness and hate with love.

Love Given and Returned

My Mother with My Brother Toward the End of Her Life

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Possibly the Fall of 2001

Our Last Photo Together

A Few Days Before My Mother Died
The value of her life is written on the faces of her children,
even in the body of her beloved Daxie.
Bertie (left), Roy, Me (Louise), Barb, Donnie

May 2002

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Donnie and I

Point Prim

On the Bay of Fundy

Summer 2018

Books Read in 2026

"18 Days in Heaven" by Gale Poirot
"A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Hope, Love, and Overcoming" by Kerrie Rawson
"Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD.
"Is Math Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics Deepest Truths" by Eugenia Cheng
"Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir
"Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout
"The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese
"The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity" by David Graeber and David Wengrow
"The Life Impossible" by Matthew Haig
"The Lord go the Rings" by JRR Tolkien
"The Match" by Harlan Corben
"The Night the Path Disappeared" by Terri Bergen
"The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper" by Roland Allen
"Theo of Golden" by Allen Levi
"Think Twice" by Harlan Corben
"Why Christianity Must Change Or Die" by John Shelby Spong

Standing Into Danger

Pages

Friday, April 29, 2022

Just a Little Rain

Friday, May 8, 2020

On the Intrinsic Value of Human Life

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