Have you ever had one of those dreams where you knew you were dreaming but you wanted to wake up so badly because the dream was just THAT awful? That is exactly how I've felt over the past 75 days. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months I've been wondering what the main takeaways from this whole nightmare are going to be.

I see many businesses who have been re-tooling the ways in which they run their business and they are succeeding. The businesses who are doing the restructuring are primarily the restaurateurs, which is understandable, because they remained open but were limited to selling only via delivery or curb-side pickup. Many of the local establishments immediately began to ramp up their social profiles and they got creative with their marketing. Some began to target their approach in an attempt to attract key segments of the community like first responders, medical personnel and educators. Still many began to offer services that they may have never thought they would offer like groceries or the production of hand sanitizer. Some of our noble, local, restaurant owners recognized that this kind of shift wasn't possible for them and opted to temporarily close down until the crisis passes. Bravo to all those restaurants who made the tough decisions they did! Your dedication and determination are the stuff that the American dream is made of. As of the time I'm writing this article Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's office says the state's emergency public health order will be amended to permit limited outdoor dine-in services for most of the state beginning Wednesday, May 27. Congratulations all! Your patience and persistence is paying off.

During the entire corona crisis I have seen many people going out of their ways to help others with whatever they needed. The Southwest New Mexico Quilters Guild began making masks for medical personnel and first responders when the crisis began. Carol Pickering mentioned to me that making masks was a "no brainer" for them because they had a whole group of quilters with loads of material and time on their hands, not to mention big hearts, who knew exactly what to do. Thank you to the quilters guild.

I was moved when I saw the mobilization of hundreds of boxes of food which was earmarked for the elderly and homebound segments of our county. As you know, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, are the most vulnerable during critical times because they are fearful of going out into the community and becoming exposed to the virus that causes COVID 19. Priscilla Lucero, Southwest NM Council of Governments and Commissioner Alicia Edwards, who is the Coordinator for Healthy Kids Healthy Communities Grant County did their usual magic to make sure that the food went to the right places and was delivered quickly. Bravo to these two angels, and the others whom they organized, to get this job done.

My key takeaway of this crisis is the notion that together we're stronger than we are alone. This notion sounds rather oxymoronic right now because we have been forced to quarantine ourselves and avoid contact with others. We are social beings and we thrive when we are allowed to interact with one another. However, I understand the health reasons behind our sequestration. I wear my mask to protect you because I want you to be healthy and safe. I will proudly wear my mask until it is deemed safe to venture out without it. I know that my individual act of service could make a difference on so many.

We are the United States of America! I know our country will survive this crisis. We always have! We are a resilient people and our sense of spirit kicks in when the chips are down. It's almost time to get back to life before the crisis… if that is even possible.