All of us kids got the shot. None of us wanted to "catch" polio. Polio was an awful thing. We all knew about Iron Lungs, braces and crutches. We were all related to, or went to school, with children crippled by Polio.
As with all "shots", it must have hurt. I do remember a lot of kids crying. Our parents would have had some misgivings and fears, about the procedure, but they were willing to have us join those lines.
Within just a few months of its inception, most of the school children in America were vaccinated with the Salk Vaccine. And, within just a few years, Polio disappeared. The threat was gone.
Last week, I participated in another type of "en mass" medicine. My job was to assist a very capable nurse in administering a Covid 19 Virus test, to around 90 seniors. Although it wasn't a "shot" or cure, this test was monumental. It would determine whether they had come in contact with the Covid Virus.
The procedure was momentarily uncomfortable. And, since it is all so new, it involved some fear of the unknown. But, old souls are tough. They handled the discomfort with hardly a missed step.
Who had the roughest time that day? Me, of course! I watched each of those seniors go through some degree of pain. I hurt with every one of them. It was as if I were the mother of 90 children, who lined up and trusted that nurse, and me, to do our best work and keep them healthy.
It was an awesome responsibility and a terrifying experience.
Dear God. Thank you for being with us every minute of our existence. Thank you for caring Health Care Workers.Your steadfast Love endures forever and ever.
