Few days ago I read a story about a big sacrifice in human history. It was written by John Leavy in Quora and it was about a little Town in England called Eyam. In the autumn of 1665, the local tailor received a bundle of cloth from London not knowing that it was infected with
the Black Death. One of his helpers noticing that the cloth was damp open the bundle and hung it before the fire to dry. Within a week Viccars (the tailor’s assistance) was death, and by the next spring no less than 42 people had died from the disease. In terror, many inhabitants made plans to vacate the village. However, the rector at the time William Mompesson convinced these people to stay, in order to save other towns from being infected. In an act of bravery from the people of Eyam they stayed in town with a volunteer quarantine. For fourteen long months they endure. In some instances, complete families were wiped out, in others just one person was left alive. The final death occurred one year later in November 1, 1666. Today this village is called “The plague village” and is a popular tourist destination.
Sacrifices like this are admirable in the times we live. It makes you think what am I willing to do or stop doing so other people don’t get sick? How much of my personal desires am I willing to sacrifice for the well of others? In Eyam, approximately half of the population was wiped up in that one year. But because of their act of courage people in the other villages and towns nearby were save. What an act of courage and love for fellow human beings!
Although we don’t live in the 1600, or in Eyam, I have seen recently acts of courage and love made by our society in this pandemic. I have heard of my friends delivering food to the door of those infected, delivering medicines, groceries, or sending money to people who had run out of income, one of them even flying to other country to take care of his parents who are infected, old and alone. In my family I truly admire my cousins who are in the front line of this pandemic taking care of those infected at the hospitals, as nurses, or doctors. Some of them even got sick from Covid-19, and after they recovered, they went back to the hospital to keep on helping those who were ill. That takes courage.These are the heroes among us.
In Spain they were clapping every night when the first wave arrived in March for the people in the health care system who were taking care of the sick. Today I want write this post to clap for all of those who are fighting in the front lines at the hospitals to help those in need. I want to clap for the people who stay at home and not take the risk to infect others, and I want to clap for all my friends and family who are know as the “indispensables” as the second wave starts this fall. I clap also for those little acts of love, phone calls, messages, letters, songs, that are send to others in these times, to let other’s know we still have each other. These are the times among humanity where love and courage need to shine.
I hope we all have it inside of us.
P.S. If you know of any other hero among us that deserves recognition please write it in the comments.
