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Friday, June 19, 2020

To Mask or Not To Mask... That is the Question

It's been a heavy time across our nation and world. I haven't shared my words with you since the beginning of April when we were a few weeks into a pandemic in the states and stay-at-home orders were in place here in Pittsburgh. The world had changed.

It's been a challenging time, as I continued to work as Operations Manager of Dignity Home Care Professionals, a senior in-home care company in Pittsburgh. My job was deemed essential so I continued on with the day-to-day business of providing caregivers to families in need. Sometimes, I ventured in to my lonely office in Bellevue and other times, I forwarded the phones and worked from home. We lost some clients (none from COVID-19) and we gained new ones. We kept our employees busy and we added new faces to the team. My heroes... those willing to brave the risk and offer their care to housebound elderly clients. 

It's been a sad time. The murder of George Floyd caused more than just rage and protest. It caused a deep sadness inside of me. It also awakened a need in me to push aside my comfortable silence and to speak out. I undoubtedly lost friends in the process, but that's okay. If you are a racist, you don't deserve my friendship. Not at all.


It's also been an infuriating and frustrating time. And this is the focus of this post: to mask or not to mask. It really shouldn't be a question. I continually hide 'friends' from my Facebook feed over this issue... those proudly proclaiming their "constitutional right" not to cover their faces. GIVE ME A BREAK! Those who take this stand continue to hide behind their excuses of "liberty." Sadly, most of the ones I've heard bemoan the masks also proclaim their status as "Christians." Again, give me a break. Where, pray tell, in Scripture does it instruct us to hold our rights and liberty above the good of others? Where? Show it to me. 

No, rather, the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Philippi: 

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Phillipians 2:3-4 NASB)

Let me paraphrase: 

"Do nothing from selfishness or a desire for your own liberty, but humble yourself, realizing that you could be an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19, which puts others at risk for a disease that, while it may be mild, could also KILL that person or cause lifelong problems for them."

As Christians, and, yes, I count myself as a devout follower of Christ, we have a moral obligation to do what we can to protect others from harm. Whether that means standing up for the rights of people of other races, seeking justice, socially distancing ourselves, fighting against the evils of Bayer/Monsanto and other companies who are poisoning us, or wearing a danged mask while in public and honoring the request of businesses and churches who ask this of us, that's what we have to do. It is NOT about liberty and constitutional rights... it's about kindness. It's "regarding one another as more important" than ourselves.

And for those of you buying into the myth of the dangers of breathing in your own CO2, read up on the facts. You would have to breathe in extremely high levels of the gas... more than say, a surgeon or their surgical team who are masked for hours during an operation -- how would you feel as a patient if they decided it was their "right" not to wear a mask?

I, personally, hate wearing masks. But, because I care about you, you better believe I'll be donning mine. I can only hope you care enough about me to do the same.

Sharing my heart,



4 comments:

  1. Amen and yes I feel the same way! Wear a mask and save lives! Love this post! Sharing the sensible news! I actually have people in my family whom are also of senior citizens age, have serious health issues or live with someone whom does, and they won't wear one, won't stay that 6 ft safe distance from total strangers, hug and kiss babies with no respect of those kids parents and there attempt to stay social distancing within there own space. Go everywhere never wearing a mask, and think they are invincible and immune to any thing because they never left the country. Education is the key and they just don't care because it's all about them. They don't see it so it's out of mind out of sight. Which is so selfish. They should read your post and others like MamaB whom are still suffering from this deadly virus and get educated and do the kind thing for the common good for all.

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to comment and for the encouragement. I'm sorry you have to deal with the family issues. My husband is 73 and has a heart condition. It infuriates me when people say he should just stay home if he's vulnerable. If people would do what they're asked, there wouldn't be an issue.

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  2. Brava!! My husband and I are both "medically fragile" and have taken precautions all along, even before the call came to wear masks.

    When I went for my mammogram this week, I was shocked to find none of the administrative employees wearing masks, nor were there any plexiglass panels. When I questioned this, I was informed that the doctors in the office decreed them as optional.

    I insisted the techs doing the mammogram and ultrasound be masked. I was asked to wait in a narrow hallway beside the entry door in which it was impossible to socially distance.

    All but one person I encountered gave me attitude for insisting on masks and gloves. They kept whining that the doctors said it was "optional." I told them my patronage was likewise optional, and if they had so little concern for my health and well-being, our 13-year relationship was at an end.

    I will be consulting MY doctor -- who ordered us to continue to wear masks and take precautions, and is Chief of Medicine at the hospital -- to refer me to a different office for my next mammogram.

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    1. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Cali. I have chosen to stop going to my chiropractor, who I've gone to for many, many years, because he and his receptionist don't wear masks either. It's really upsetting to me.

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