Marilyn Hagerty: Troubled times come and go

There were grasshoppers six inches long during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Our brothers went off to war after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in the 1940s. There still are haunting memories of the tragic Red River Valley Blizzard on March 15, 1941.

Everybody in Grand Forks had to leave town when the Red River overflowed its banks on its way north in 1997. It spread all over the valley.

. . . And now this. Coronavirus.

The week that was and the days that are to be test our hearts and souls. Never could anyone know or dream of coronavirus.

Nobody knows how long will it last. Nobody knows how much more heartache and suffering it will cause.

We do know this. Trouble brings out the kindness of people helping others. It brings out a sense of humor when people perceive a shortage of toilet paper.

At a time like this, you wonder how much worse will it get?

Nobody knows.

All we know is that in the past the rains came and the grasshoppers faded away. All I know is that people lived through the Great Depression. The wars ended.

These days, everyone needs to try to stay healthy. Trust the leaders of the city, the state and the nation. Follow instructions of nurses and doctors. People have to help other people.

These are the times that try the souls of men, women and, yes, children.

Right now, people need faith in the future. People need to take precautions. Most of all, people need to walk their dogs. Keep their faith. Wash their hands. Follow instructions. Use some common sense.

The calendars say this is the second day of spring. The birds know it is time to come back north.

Reach Marilyn Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or by telephone at (701) 772-1055.