My heart goes out to all of the families who are losing loved ones to COVID-19.  We were so fortunate to say goodbye to our 97-year-old mother, “Aggie” in her own bed, in her own home surrounded by family a couple of years ago.  I am thankful for that experience and I can’t imagine what so many families are going through right now.

For the thousands of family members who aren’t able to hold hands, give one more kiss or one last “I love you” to those about to go on the journey, it must be so incredibly painful.  At moments like this, we all need closure and this horrible virus has robbed that emotional experience for so many.

Just as we are giving more of ourselves to express our appreciation to our heroic health care providers and every day “essential workers” – our everyday heroes – let’s also give more of ourselves to those grieving a loved one through this pandemic.  It is a time to reach out, connect and do our best to provide loving support and share in their sorrow.

Throughout this pandemic, the saying “We are all in this together” has been heard so many times it has almost become a cliché.  Hopefully, we can keep the phrase from turning into a cliché through our actions of reaching out to others. One of the most powerful tools to help us navigate through troubling times is that of human connection.

Let’s all reach out and connect with those who need us the most.  We are all in this together.