The flu pandemic of 1918-19 resulted in more than 600,000 (six HUNDRED THOUSAND) deaths in the United States. Last estimate I heard for our current COVID-19 pandemic is an estimate of as many as 200,000 deaths. When numbers get that high, comparisons between 200,000 and 600,000 tend to lose meaning because we can't wrap our heads around losing so many lives. But Americans have suffered extreme death rates and the flu pandemic has a number of parallels to today's crisis.
Our grandfather was born in 1906, and therefore around 12 years old during most of the 1918 flu. One younger brother, Dinty, was only a toddler and therefore in an at-risk population. Also at risk were his parents, especially his mother Barbara who was in her mid 30s. This pandemic struck mostly younger adults and was vicious, however, the Flynn family escaped the worst of it. Barbara had some nursing training so perhaps that was a factor, but I am sure it was a time of high alert and cautious measures.
I expect a 12 year old was very conscious of what was going on around him in the small city of Olean NY and I also imagine this crisis impacted his views on life. He always used to say "Everything will take care of itself.". I wonder where this phrase originated for him. As a mom, I like to imagine it was passed down by his mother but it seemed so like him that I was sure it was a motto he designed for himself.
Many times throughout my life, this phrase brought comfort. It remains so today. Our at risk groups today are very different so I am especially thinking about my older friends and family as well as those with compromised health conditions. I'm not sure what life will look like on the other side of COVID-19, but I do believe that, in time, "everything will take care of itself." God Bless you, Weenie. Love you and miss you always.
