Love Your Neighbor

This is a very important time to love your neighbor. That neighbor may be vulnerable.

When you cough or sneeze into your elbow and decrease your neighbor’s chance of getting sick, you are loving your neighbor.

When you stay 6 feet away from other people, you are decreasing the chance that you will get sick and decreasing the chance that you will get your neighbor sick. That is loving your neighbor.

When you wash your hands before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth you are decreasing the chance that you will get sick and decreasing the chance that you will get your neighbor sick. That is loving your neighbor.

When you stop going to restaurants and bars, you are loving your neighbor.

When you run an essential errand and refrain from touching surfaces and use hand sanitizer as you leave the store, you are loving your neighbor.

For now, when you stop shaking hands and hugging people you care about, you are loving your neighbor.

When you keep the kids in the house instead of having them play with other kids, you are loving your neighbor.

When you refrain from touching others’ pets, you are loving your neighbor.

When you see or hear of others violating the above, forgive them. This is loving your neighbor, too. Have some confidence that your adherence to social distancing and hand washing will help keep you safe. Hopefully, they will follow your example before they contribute to getting someone sick.

Unless you have heard differently from a healthcare provider or a public health official, the only people in the general public that should be wearing a mask are people that have proven coronavirus and people with some combination of active cough, fever, and/or a high risk contact. The mask is worn by the sick person to prevent the virus from spreading to others. (Physicians and others obliged to be within 6 feet of potentially ill people wear a mask with a shield as part of their personal protective equipment.) When you reserve surgical masks for these purposes, you allow our nation’s supply to be enough so that sick people can wear them to avoid getting others sick. This is loving your neighbor.

When you see someone who is ill and wearing a mask, greet them and be kind from at least 6 feet away. This is loving your neighbor. If appropriate, offer to run their errands for them.

When you call a parent, grandparent, or elderly neighbor to check on them, to see what they need, or just to talk, you are loving your neighbor.

When you go to the store and just get the supplies that you need for a week or two instead of buying everything on the shelf, you are loving your neighbor.

This virus has opened our eyes to the reality that the world is a small place. China and Italy are our neighbors, too. Perhaps if we all feel and express that, they will be more comfortable reaching out to us sooner the next time a new, dangerous illness emerges. Or perhaps we will be more comfortable reaching out to them if the next illness begins closer to home.

This is a very important time to love your neighbor. Perhaps these difficult times will help us all realize that it always has been important.