My fellow survivors, I salute you.
Those stuck at home, impelled by these extraordinary circumstances; a pandemic and the consequent economic disaster, with their ‘loved ones’, suddenly thrust into constant contact with them, I salute you.
Those dealing with ‘loved ones’ who simply because they enjoy yelling, or because they’re bullies and feel the need to assert their dominance, constantly pick fights out of nothing and nowhere with you, I salute you.
Those unable to run away from their ‘loved ones’ who, for reasons best known to themselves, or perhaps to make themselves feel better about their own shortcomings and failures, continue as they’ve always done, to belittle and demean you; to never listen to you and dismiss your feelings and values out of hand, I salute you.
Those who suffer through all that even though they have always done their best to help their ‘loved ones’; never once asking for anything in return nor ever holding anything over these ‘loved ones’ heads, no matter how important or impactful to their lives, I salute you.
Hang in there, fellow survivors. Endure not just the virus, but those ‘loved ones’ who only take and never give, not even a kind word. Those who have discarded you as family long a go; who care more for strangers than you, their own flesh and blood, perhaps their only offspring, sibling, what have you. Endure because, as the saying goes, this too shall pass. The virus, one way or another, will stop taking lives and upending the world, and you will once again be free to run away from them, perhaps never again to look back; to resume building your own lives, pursuing your own dreams and goals, leaving those toxic ‘loved ones’ behind once and for all.
I know this to be true because I am you, fellow survivors.
And I salute you.