Kindness and grace are needed more than ever
In the account by Luke of the birth of Christ there is a line which states that the angel which announced the birth was accompanied by a “heavenly host” (a large army of good angels) who urged that there be “peace on earth”:
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The concept of peace on earth and goodwill toward men is advice we should all embrace regardless of our individual religious or spiritual beliefs. This year, more than ever, we must be intentional about embracing kindness, patience, and grace. Business is booming, we continue to see high volumes of visitors, and we are short on the workforce needed to accommodate business levels.
Add to that, from our partners at Vail Health, the Omicron variant (which is here) has a doubling rate of 2 days. Meaning that the number of people testing positive for COVID will double every 2 days. That math is holding true at our local testing facilities.
- Monday was our 6th day in a row of record cases.
- Monday was a record-high percent positive rate for us.
- Local urgent cares are seeing 2x patients year over year.
- The Emergency Department is seeing 2x patients year over year.
- Testing facilities are seeing full schedules every day.
1) Go to the stores and buy at-home tests! We suggest only getting tested if you are sick. And if you need same-day appointments your best bet will be walk in at the county testing sites (Vail Transportation Center or Gypsum Rec Center)
2) Get your vaccine booster! CDC shows significant improvements in outcomes if you get sick. VailHealth.org/vaccine
3) Please please please wear your masks when in public places. Every little bit helps.
I’ll add to the Vail Health requests one additional ask of our community:
4) Be kind. Exhibit courteous goodwill. Try to thank three people each day. Recognize that people’s patience is tested and the only way to combat a lack of patience is through kindness and empathy.
Math might not be my strong suit given the fact I included four things in my “one additional ask”. Please embrace the words of Luke this Christmas season and try your best to be kind, patient, understanding, and most importantly exhibit goodwill toward others.
Our staff and board at the Partnership are thankful for our community partners in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Eagle County is a stronger community due to the collaboration and leadership from each of our sectors and we are dedicated to our focus on economic resiliency and building the programs and tools our community needs to continue to thrive. 2021 has been an adventure (that’s an understatement!) and we’re looking forward to working with you in 2022 and beyond. Let it snow, and here’s to you!