By Ellen Cans
Memorial weekend in New York City usually unleashes the first bit of a carefree summer breeze. It’s a time marked by outdoor barbeques and outings to the beaches and the like. This year, however, under the shadow of the novel COVID-19, things seem more somber. The Big Apple has unwittingly turned into the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. The city is still mostly in lockdown, and the novel coronavirus has already taken 23,488 lives in NYS, as of Sunday night.
The elderly, those with preexisting conditions and colored and Latino communities have taken the hardest hits. The consequences of the shutdown too have been significant. As reported by the NY Times, NYC unemployment claims have jumped 2,637 percent since March. This has sparked a hunger crisis, with graduate students and artists standing in lines at local soup kitchens. Food banks and volunteers have stepped up to the task increasing the distributions. Nonprofits across the board agree that the amount of food they being distributed has skyrocketed since March, based on an increased need.
This memorial day, we may have less light-heartedness. We might have to wear masks and keep social distancing. Our plans may have changed and our outlook may be shaky. The day’s original significance, however, has never resonated stronger. This is a day when we appreciate our heroes, and we have more heroes right among us than ever before. The healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers have put their lives on the line for the greater good, and as a whole New Yorkers feel a deep down gratitude. This is a day when we traditionally show our caring and love for one another by getting together with loved ones. This memorial day, during the ongoing pandemic, we have shown our love more than ever before via the sacrifices we make by social distancing in order to keep each other healthy and safe.
New Yorkers have another chance to show off their resilience. We are not broken and we will not allow our day or our city to crumble. We will open up, slowly and as directed. We will recreate and rethink our business models. We will become vibrant and successful once more. We will help one another and rise again collectively. The uncertainty of today will only make us stronger tomorrow. And of course, we will honor and remember those that we have lost, and hold a space for them in our hearts forever.
