I’ve lost track of how many days I’ve been working in my home office, balancing conference calls with helping my daughters with math homework – but the days became weeks became months. Although Governor Cuomo extended the New York on Pause executive order through the end of this month, parts of the state have just become eligible to stick one toe in the uncertain waters of reopening. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that at the same time, our Central New York weather is warming up and any doubt I had that we would ever see the sun again is dissipating. I am admittedly not a Beatles fan, not even a little bit, but I can’t get their song “Here Comes the Sun” out of my head (and I’m not even mad about it). Literally and figuratively, things are beginning to brighten. Here it comes.
Every step we have taken since we went On Pause, and every next step we take is and will be all new territory for us. I think we can all acknowledge having felt a significant degree of fear and uncertainty but we kept putting one foot in front of the other. We washed our hands and socially distanced and got used to wearing masks when we had to be in public. We did this for our neighbors and trusted they would do it for us, so we could return to normal (whatever that will be) sooner rather than later.
COVID-19 has taken the lives of well over 80,000 Americans. That’s a staggering figure and one that will continue to grow before we are past all of this. Paul “Bear” Vasquez is one of that number. His name may not be familiar to you, but his unbridled enthusiasm at the sight of a double rainbow made him a viral video sensation several years ago. His joy is contagious, and if you feel like you could use a little boost, I encourage you to watch for yourself.
New Yorkers have accomplished tremendous things during this Pause. We are tough, and we are determined to safely get back to work and play. We sacrificed for ourselves and each other just to see this day. We have to continue to be guided by science. None of us wants to be in a position where our regional leadership will have to exercise its circuit breaker option and slow our progress.
Slowly, tentatively, we are on our way. Here comes the sun, my friends. It’s alright.
Jennifer B. Granzow
Ms. Granzow holds a JD from the Syracuse University College of Law. Her practice is concentrated in the areas of business and corporate law, real estate, economic development, and government relations, with an emphasis on grants and public funding.