The other side of the virus.

March 24, 2020

A poem from a Jesuit priest.

The Other Side of the Virus,
An Opportunity to Awaken…
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.

But,

They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.

They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.

They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open
so that those who are alone
may hear the sounds of family around them.

They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.

Today a young woman I know
is busy spreading fliers with her number
through the neighbourhood
so that the elders may have someone to call on.

Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples
are preparing to welcome
and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary.

All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting.

All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way.

All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.

So we pray and we remember that

Yes there is fear.
But there does not have to be hate.

Yes there is isolation.
But there does not have to be loneliness.

Yes there is panic buying.
But there does not have to be meanness.

Yes there is sickness.
But there does not have to be disease of the soul

Yes there is even death.
But there can always be a rebirth of love.

Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.

Today, breathe.

Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic-
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,

And we are always encompassed by Love.

Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able
to touch across the empty square,

Sing.

– Written by Fr. Richard Hendrick

#Census2020

‘April 1st is an important date for the census. It’s the date you should use as a reference when completing the census — that means filling out information for anyone who lives in your household as of that date.

It’s important to make sure your household is counted! The data from your community is used to determine how many congressional districts your state will have for the next decade. With 435 representatives across the country, states could gain or lose a district based on population changes.’

Get counted! Fill out the 2020 Census here: https://my2020census.gov

Pandemic vote.

As our country continues to be ravaged by COVID-19, states and political leaders are trying to secure the safety of our elections. In Idaho, we can now request an absentee ballot for the state primary for May 19th. COVID-19 is changing daily, hourly. Confirmed cases grows exponentially. Social distancing and increased infections could compromise our voting locations.

Protect Yourself. Protect Your Neighbors.

VOTING ABSENTEE

IS AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3.

Ballots will be sent no earlier than 45 days before the May 19 Primary Election.
Please allow 10 – 14 days for your ballot to arrive once they begin to be sent out.

While you wait, feel free to share this page with your friends and family.
Make sure you use the #VoteEarlyIdaho hashtag.

 

To secure your vote for the primary follow the link:

https://idahovotes.gov/vote-early-idaho/