In times of crisis, making sacrifices might seem almost unthinkable. You’ve had to give up so much of your everyday life—how can you be expected to sacrifice even more? But in a lot of ways, making sacrifices is the only way that a community can pull through a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic has caused everyone to make sacrifices. For consumers, many of their favorite stores and restaurants have closed down. They can’t spend their weekends visiting festivals and hanging out at bars; instead, they’re stuck at home for hours on end. Many jobs have switched to a work-from-home format, so they can’t even leave the house to go to the office. They’re also expected to wear face masks whenever they go outside, which has previously been unheard of in the United States. Large gatherings are also discouraged, and even hanging out with a friend or two in-person is frowned upon.
As for business owners, they’ve been hit even harder by the pandemic. Countless small businesses have been forced to shut their doors permanently. Others have managed to stay open, but with sales rapidly dropping, they find themselves wondering how much longer they can stay afloat. They invested thousands of dollars in their business, and now they’re watching it circling the drain in a matter of months. As a result, thousands of employees have lost their jobs and found themselves with no choice but to file for unemployment.
In other words, everyone’s had to make sacrifices. And while some have been resistant to the changes, making sacrifices is necessary to help people get through the crisis.
Imagine what would happen if nobody made a single change to their lifestyle. The COVID-19 virus would tear through the United States in a matter of weeks, decimating communities and taking thousands–if not millions–of lives. Hospitals would be overflowing and have no choice but to turn patients away. The economy would crash, countless businesses would shut down, and friends and family members across the country would be mourning the tragic loss of their loved ones.
Making sacrifices isn’t always easy, but it’s the only way that communities can survive a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. To survive a crisis, people have to let go of some of their pride and desire for control and do what’s best for their whole community.