Look Beyond the Challenge

A Journal During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Reflections and Inspiration from Maple Grove
March 22, 2020

The first I recall hearing about an outbreak of a virus was probably in January when headlines carried news of a mysterious respiratory illness spreading from China through Europe. In February, we learned the disease was identified as a coronavirus and was named COVID-19. It had reached the United States and by mid-March had been declared a worldwide pandemic. It quickly spread to all 50 states. A United States National Emergency was declared, and that's when life began changing for all of us.  

The purpose of these posts is not to provide details about COVID-19 nor to offer opinions about political or economic ramifications.  It has been a long time since I got away from "blogging," and I see this as an opportunity to simply share a journal of my personal experiences and reflections about life for us at Maple Grove during this crisis.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who died in our nation's service. General John A. Logan, of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared May 30, 1868 as a day of observance "to honor those who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion."  Mourners honored the Civil War dead by decorating their graves with flowers.  The annual observance thereafter became know as Decoration Day.