Still others were alone with an abusive partner, exacerbated by the lockdown.

We couldn't escape the reports of those whose jobs were lost and for whom being at home brought added worry about paying bills, securing food and shelter, and the future. It was throughout our country and it wasn't just our country, it was throughout the world. The count became staggering as both the death toll and the number of those infected mounted. Whether one of our loved ones died or became very sick, or whether we were spared that grief, we could not escape the suffering of so many. I am learning that the stark realization that we are all connected is uncomfortable and challenging.Įach of us has experienced the pandemic differently, and yet we have all experienced it. And the question becomes what am I learning from the coronavirus pandemic?

The implications of what it means in my life continue to deepen. I never could have imagined what transpired these past 12 months and how it would challenge me. Let us pray that we learn through this pandemic the stark realization that we are all connected that when we face into our fears, we can transform them through love and that we emerge from it committed to a new way of being and acting. However, I believe my conclusion for that reflection still holds true a year later. In March of 2020, I reflected on the question: 'What did you learn from the coronavirus pandemic?' In retrospect that was a bit early in the process for that question.

Mercy source 2