Any of you who has been reading my blog over the past year would know some of the personal struggles I’ve had, chief among them that brain disease very quickly relegated my father to a nursing home. The healthy-minded and proud guy I knew my whole life would rather have been shot dead (his words) than have to live in such a facility, but now that he’s in a different mental state and has been there for many months, he’s come to like it.

Our visits to see the old man have always been bittersweet, but they at least were frequent. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, we have understandably been unable to visit him. This has been especially hard on my mom, who, despite his terrible mood swings and sometimes mean tirades and insults toward her, has visited every damn day. She practically runs the place now, feeding the nurses her amazing baked goods and even helping wheel all the patients around.

This past weekend, she sent a photo to my brother, sister and me. It was taken over the shoulder of my dad looking out his window and talking to my mom, who had arranged with her nurse pals a rare “visit.” She was standing at a safe distance but smiling wide.

I nearly cried, but then I’ve done enough of that, so I rather just let myself smile and be happy.

I share these stories not to feel sorry for myself or invite sympathies. Believe me, I know so many people with far bigger problems than mine, and I feel like a very fortunate person with many positive things to celebrate. I share these stories because they’re relatable, and hopefully in some way inspirational. Ultimately, the good outweighs the bad.

How the meat industry has rallied during the COVID-19 pandemic is inspirational, too. Here, sitting and writing in the comfort of my own home while earning a living, I can say that I’m especially inspired by the people who continue to work hard in processing plants every day to prepare the food we all need. And they are truly doing so at the risk of their own health, as more and more companies report positives at their facilities. That makes them heroic.

In the interest of celebrating that heroism, and in the spirit of hopefully spreading inspiration during an uncertain and frightening time, we urge you to send us your photos and stories at newseditors@meatingplace.com so that we can help facilitate and share online, on social media (#MeatCanBeHeroes) and any other way that promotes a supportive community.

In the end, caring for and sharing with each other is what matters.

Inspiration is viral

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