First of all, on behalf of Chad and myself I want to say that we miss you, feel as though there’s a hole in the week every day another Building Bridges meal has to be suspended, and during the pandemic, are feeling the need to stay connected as a community more than ever. In the absence of our regular meals, Chad, our Diocesan Treasurer, Steve Abdow, and I are in constant contact, planning new ways to keep the nine Building Bridges communities strong -- and even hoping to make them stronger.
In a conversation with Chad last week, Chad described how one morning he happened to say hello to a solitary pedestrian on a very empty sidewalk. He said he thought about the isolation each of them was feeling, and then realized that for many veterans this sense of isolation is not a new experience. From what we have heard from many of you, it can be an isolation that occurs not only at war, but when you return home.
Then I began to think about how often I hear military language being used to describe how we must respond to the pandemic: phrases like, “being at war” with this coronavirus; realizing that our lives and safety absolutely depend on one another; recognizing that the only way to defeat this enemy is as an army of one. As I have told many of you, as a non-veteran who only fully appreciated the sacrifices you made for me after starting Building Bridges, my respect and gratitude for what you did exceeds words. So once again, all I can say is, “Thanks.”
All of which is to say that, in this very new way, you continue to be an invaluable resource to this country. My great learning since working with you for five years now is that you know what it means to be isolated, you know what it means to be resourceful, you know what it means to care for your brothers and sisters, and you know what it will take to defeat this enemy. I know I also speak for Chad when I say that you are in our thoughts and prayers constantly, that you represent