Trying to be thankful on this Thanksgiving week is difficult, to say the least.
We spend most of our time at home, isolated from friends, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When I do go out on assignments for The Floyd Press, it is often into the unknown among others who may or may not be infected with the virus that has infected at least 221,038 in Virginia and killed close to 4,000.
Nationwide, the deadly pandemic has killed more than 262,000 and infected more than 59 million.
Virginia’s Department of Health (VDH) reported a daily increase of 3,242 cases Monday. Floyd County now has 313 cases and has seen an increase of more than 25 over the past week.
In Washington, what could have been a working transition of the presidency to president-elect Joe Biden is mired in chaos because defeated and outgoing leader Donald Trump piles on lawsuits that courts quickly dismiss, lies at his highest rate ever in a first term riddled with falsehoods and plays golf while ignoring his duties during his final days.
With this, will thanks be part of the Thanksgiving menu at our home on Thursday?
Of course. At least two vaccines against COVID-19 are close to approval by the Federal Drug Administration. Democracy and the Constitution will prevail and prevent an attempted coup by Trump to overturn the will of voters.
Like many millions of Americans, our finances are devastated and our way of life remain severely altered, but we have our health, each other and a determination to survive and continue.
This weekend, our community will celebrate the arrival of the Christmas season with a “reverse parade” where spectators drive by the line of floats and exhibits instead of risking their health and lives huddled together while the parade travels through the streets of downtown Floyd.
Many of us have seen too many attacks on our nation and its way of life: 9/11, Watergate, too many casualties in too many useless wars and those who attempt to circumvent our Constitution to serve their personal greed and lust for power.
We survived such attacks, and we will survive this latest dual assault of a pandemic and a pathetic attempt to destroy democracy in America.
We celebrate Thanksgiving this year as grateful Americans who live in a country that survives and will prosper again.