“When life gets back to normal, I hope that there will be echoes of grace in the memory of hardship.”

What are your fears and/or concerns right now?

Ben: I’m concerned about the financial issues of the unemployed due to COVID and the structural racism baked into Metropolitan Richmond. We have the smallest footprint of public transportation of any city our size in America – in fact, the world – and our city public schools need twice the resources they are given in order to provide equity.

Annie: Maybe it’s natural that in a global pandemic our fears and concerns become more global. Are there lasting effects when children don't meet and play with other children? How do we teach them that they’re free and safe? How do we make sure they are? 

What have you learned from living this new normal?

Ben: That society is divided into those who can work remotely and those who can't.

Annie: I’ve learned to commit to the things I want to do when a lack of time is no longer an excuse.

What are your thoughts on how the pandemic has brought to the forefront issues of racial and social inequality?

Ben: If the issues were as easy as removing monuments, we would be well on our way. But the big issues – structural economic inequities in employment, education, taxation, housing, transportation, and the criminal justice system – are 350 years in the making. People don't want to identify them or tackle them.

Annie: Suddenly, new divisions come into focus. The concerns of different groups of people become glaring and impossible to ignore. People are asking hard questions, reading more, talking more, and trying to learn.

Do you think anything positive will come from all of this?

Ben: I am prayerful. We have to work together. At least we may get rid of this horrible scourge of dishonesty and racism represented by the current president. I believe in God and that he is not in the damnation business. That is the only thing worth calling Gospel [good news.]

Annie: The world has slowed and there is more time. People are learning to bake bread again and that is not trivial. Life is deeper and quieter and beautiful. I keep my eye on its beauty. When life gets back to normal, I hope that there will be echoes of grace in the memory of hardship.

READ THE STORIES

Click on any of the images below to learn more about what's on the minds of fellow Richmonders. From the pandemic to protests, our community has traveled through months of uncertainty, introspection and reflection. Sharing stories gives us an opportunity to learn, connect and grow with one another in the hopes of cultivating a more compassionate, open-minded and empathetic city to live in.