Strength during the journey

As Vermont continues to reopen its economy amid the pandemic, we’ve each experienced the impact of that journey in different ways and viewed it through different lenses. But it’s been all too common to see the highs followed by the lows, or vice versa.
In the past week, many downtowns saw an uptick in traffic on July 4th, which was obviously a welcome sight. That was juxtaposed with recent news that over 1,000 workers with U.S Customs and Immigration Services in St. Albans and Essex are to be furloughed in August.
That was a grim reminder of the nature of economic recovery: Even the best of news may be followed by a more jarring development. Experts say it’s likely to be a long road back to sustained economic strength.
But remember something about that last word, strength. As a people, Vermonters have plenty of it. We already have many examples of the goodness of a neighbor carrying someone else through a difficult time in recent months. Put those experiences together, and you can see the fabric of our community remains strong, despite the highs and lows, and discouraging political tension. Within that, we can empower each other to overcome even the most severe difficulties. I’m convinced we’re equal to that task, the challenge of working to help each other, even as significant hurdles might try to obstruct that focus. The good news is, as we rise above the trouble and find paths to progress, we will be encouraged to find others walking them, too.

— Gareth Henderson