Be the Pandemic’s Caring Bridge

Thursday Thoughts, Inspiration, Motivation about the Coronavirus Pandemic

Once every few weeks, and sometimes multiple times during a week, a touching update from “Caring Bridge” with a new journal entry about a former member comes through my inbox. Caring Bridge has a beautiful vision where no one goes through a health journey alone. Caring Bridge, a nonprofit founded in 1977 with 2 Billion visits, keeps a person’s family and friends updated during a difficult time. All someone needs to do is create a personalized, advertisement-free site, update it frequently, and share it with loved ones and friends.

I received a simple email message today, which was a journal entry, from my member’s sister who informs us of our friend Alicia’s status with rare cancer. Last September after following Alicia’s story, donating some money to Caring Bridge to help with their services, Alicia showed up at my Rochester event. Thrilled to see her beyond words, I hugged her fragile frame, looked in her beautiful eyes, and told her how happy I was to see her. I wasn’t sure if she was aware of how much I follow her health updates through Caring Bridge and how much I pray for her. Other women welcomed her with open arms, a true gift from the amazing women gathered at my events.

Everyone in the world has their own level of suffering, with or without the Coronavirus Pandemic, but can you imagine the extra stress it puts on families and friends of people with underlying issues such as cancer? When a significant person in your world has been battling a disease for years, something like this health crisis creates extraordinary anxiety and challenges.

On this beautiful chilly day, with unexpected snow on the ground but the blue sky above, focus on the gifts that surround you including your current health status. Quarantining may be inconvenient for most of us, but it is nothing compared to the safety it provides to people already fighting serious diseases. Be kind and generous with the ways you protect yourself and thousands of people like our good friend Alicia, who depends on people to shelter in place and cut the spread of the disease so they can be as healthy as possible.

To find out more about Caring Bridge or to donate to their cause, click here.