After 472 days of Coronavirus shut-in in New York, 445 days of quarantine and phased-in access to different parts of California, we can now have full access to the reopening of all businesses in California and New York, including national and state parks.
It feels good to be released from the virus stranglehold. Yet, this morning at a Koreatown supermarket, everyone were still wearing their masks though folks were way more sociable, stopping to converse a bit more than before when folks avoided one another.
Folks, we now can run, we can play, we can fly our kites outdoors, we can socialize, we can travel.
Thank you to President Joe Biden , to all the citizen voters who voted for him, here in America and those living abroad as US citizens, as you all made this happen. In December, we were held by the strong grips of the pandemic and deaths were left and right. By the time we got vaccinated in Jan. and Feb. hope levels went up.
Thank you Governor Andrew Cuomo though I live in California, your daily press briefings since March 2020 to weekly, then as needed, briefings, based on scientific facts, consultation with the world’s public health experts, were my reliable sources of credible leadership example and of course, news and optimism! I appreciated that more than anything to watch a credible State Governor take the helm in a pandemic, based on truth, integrity, and accountable public service. You may have made a mistake, but over 471 days of credible leadership is commendable.
Now, the road traffic in Los Angeles is at its highest peak levels again.
Thank you also to the coordinated responses of the city, county and state of California Gavin Newsom a special recognition to Supervisor Hilda Solis, who for the most part were accountable, albeit with some hiccups on sharing power and control between the state and over 60 local county health departments who tried to be so independent, when collaboration and teamwork during pandemic is a must. Thank you to Santa Clara health department for its exemplary public health decisions.
Thank you to Asian Journal and staffers for diligent, conscientious, credible news reporting and featuring stories of our California nurses, our frontline heroes who sacrificed their lives and offered solace, comfort and songs to accompany those dying from #CoronaVirus. Thank you for your beautiful way of dignifying who they were, their love for Disney characters and the small businesses’ struggles.
Thank you to Pope Francis FC whose homilies kept us hopeful, optimistic, God-centered, as the pastors of Holy Family Catholic Church, Artesia with the best homilies, cantors and livestreamed masses almost daily; and to Bishop Ambo David for his homilies that inspired us, too. Thank you to our Blessed Virgin Mary who kept us protected. I got to attend 397 digital masses, for that I am grateful for Facebook, as a force for positive good!
Thank you to Hydee Pichai who created, developed, organized and maintained my website, <lotusrainier.com>, which became repositories of transformational stories, hopeful journal entries of the pandemic, compelling me to see the hand of God in the ordinary details of life.
A special thank you to my adult children, Corina, Carlo and their partners who took care of us during the early peak periods as the latter periods as well and the safe, short, outdoor get – togethers we did for birthdays. It kept us all hopeful, connected, yet socially distant and responsible.
A big thank you to my brave friends who dropped by, masked, waving hi and goodbyes, sharing their blessings with us: fruits, meals, lumpia, baked goods, wine, indoor plants, newly harvested produce, and more: Charina VergaraMiko ZuñigaAna BurogDon Martin SagarbarriaNonoy AlsaybarNeng Almonte AlsaybarMon DavidAnn DavidNicole David YalongMika ElaCora OrielChristina OrielCarina OrielJanet Susan Rodriguez NepalesRuben V. NepalesBenel Se-LibanLillian Tamoria and Leann Bowen ,whom I drove to, Elsa B. Azote and Candy Azote and a very dear good friend, Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough and Ani Rodriguez-Villero.Their brave actions to connect during the pandemic are forever etched in my heart.
To my 6yo #princess2015la my granddaughter who showed optimism, vibrance, zest for life, and resilience – she inspired me to keep moving forward.
And a very special gratitude to several priests who guided me with their warm outreach, spiritually enlightening homilies, some even communicated their concerns via phone calls and texts: Fr. Rodel G.Balagtas Fr. John Cordero, Fr. Randy Odchigue, Fr. Joaquim Ablanida, Fr. Aris Martin and Fr. Joel Bugas. My big thank you to you all!
I survived because you all cared and prayed for me and loved me. Maraming Salamat sa inyong lahat! And my hubby Enrique de la Cruz who walked, who biked, who did gardening, who wrote opinion editorials, who did his power juicing for the family and most of all, grocery shopping with double masks during the peak periods. He will not be slowed down by the virus.