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Editorial: During the COVID-19 pandemic...Patience is required

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With warmer spring weather in our midst, wild flowers blooming and summer approaching with all of its grand activities, we are reminded of one line from the television show, Kung Fu: “Patience grasshopper.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. JB Pritzker’s Stay-In-Place Order, we are leading lives of unknowns, lives in limbo. Our normal patterns of life are disrupted and some of our favorite summer activities are held in the balance of decisions yet to come.

There are so many questions. When will community swimming pools open throughout Jo Daviess County? (We’re certain that parents are praying this will happen.)

Will the popular week-long Camp Casper take place? When can we have our annual family reunion? When can we hold weddings? When can we give our family member a proper funeral?

People are anxious. Living a life in limbo is challenging.

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When these activities take place is not a local decision at this point. That is a state decision.

In the early stages of this pandemic, only 10 people can be in one place at a time. The question will become: What can you open and/or do if the limit is raised to 25 people? Or 50 people? If so, what will be the social distancing protocols?

Plans can be made now, but none can be set in concrete. That is, we admit, frustrating. COVID-19 is a moving target.

We are certain that everyone–citizens and decision makers–all want this to be a “normal” summer where the kids can go swimming with their friends or learning about nature at Camp Casper and do all the normal things for which we are accustomed–and yet, be safe.

The realty is that this will not be a normal summer. True decisions can’t be made until a concrete path is set giving directions as to the parameters of decision making.

This very well may be the summer of patience.