Zoroastrian Association
of Metropolitan Chicago

Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Well!

Social distancing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and a little Faith and Patience are Keys to Survival in the ‘New Normal.’ 

Dear community members and friends,

We write to you with hope, belief and faith as the world and life as we once knew it has changed with the onset and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This ‘new normal’ of life is with us until the global community of scientists, doctors and public health leaders produce a vaccine. Even then, the economic, psychological and emotional toll of this pandemic will take years if not decades to heal. 

Before we heal, however, we take a moment to feel the weight and gravity of the lives lost both around the world and here at home. As of this newsletter’s publication, more than 211,000 souls have been lost to COVID-19. 

We take this moment to mourn their loss, honor their lives, and send our deepest condolences to their families.

“There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways.” ~Mother Theresa

Until there is a vaccine, we will likely see our children continue eLearning from home; those in non-essential jobs will continue to work from home; the demand for PPE and health care workers will continue to skyrocket; and social distancing will remain the norm. 

The impact from jobs lost, businesses bankrupted, and the looming threat of an anticipated resurgence of COVID-19 this fall/winter, will continue to slow the economy’s return and markets will open gradually. 

What we have is each other. We have our Vohu Mana, our good mind, and are empowered now more than ever to use our head to make righteous and purposeful decisions. The power of Good Words, Good Thoughts, and Good Deeds has never shone more brightly as mindfulness, kindness and self-sacrifice emerge as part of a new norm for our sensibilities and the way we treat one another. 

Our air is cleaner, our environment is greener, our family units are stronger, our health is front-and-center, and our wellbeing is dependent on our ability to work together – to cooperate and to build bridges for a better tomorrow. 

Thanks to modern technology we remain more interconnected with one another than ever before. Our re-awakening as a society means we will: 

• improve our preparedness for future pandemics; 
• build more effective crisis and contingency plans; and 
• honor and care for our front line work force. 

Specifically: doctors, nurses, patient care technicians, janitorial staff, paramedics, police officers, mass transit workers, trash haulers, and postal and grocery store workers, to name a few true heroes.

Despite rescue lifelines from federal governments, many businesses will sadly go bankrupt; new markets will be created; new skill sets will be learned; and yes, PPE will continue to be in very high demand.

Our children will be shaped, motivated, educated and  impacted by these events. Many of our children will look back at this time and say they found their calling in life following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we should be honored when they tell us they want to serve on the front lines. 

In the true Zarathushti spirit of philanthropy, we are pleased to report our Welfare Committee has raised more than $7,000 to aid and assist those in our community who are economically disadvantaged from the pandemic’s dangerous impact on the economy. 

We also have a team of volunteers ready and able to assist those in need, particularly our elderly, in getting groceries and performing tasks to help ease their burdens, driven mainly by anxiety and isolation. 

Through it all, we will continue to focus on WE and not ME, strengthening our interconnectedness and being there for one another. TOGETHER we will realize our common calling: to spread light and goodness throughout an increasingly complex and challenging world.

Hamāzor Hamā Ashō-bēd!
May we all be united in strength and righteousness!

Read more in the complete April/May 2020 newsletter