PRESIDENT'S LETTER
Could the Pandemic be a Blessing in Disguise? By Kevin Patterson, DDS, MD
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any of us were fortunate to emerge from the naïve and think that what we do today will have no influence on the past year intact — physically, mentally, and future. financially, giving us so much to be thankful for. We have the opportunity to use this experience Our eyes should remain open to the myriad of inequities exposed as a to become more thoughtful and intentional and less result of this pandemic and make changes in what we do today in order judgmental and reactive. We could appreciate more to halt the continuation of these inequalities. Each and criticize less. We could, for a lack of a better word, and every person should have access to a safe and "We are all consumed be kinder. affordable place live, fresh food, quality education and with 'getting back to safe passage as we go about our days. The increase normal,' but does this If history is any guide, we are at risk of putting this in senseless violence against innocent people, the mean returning to the behind us as soon as possible, as we dive back into continued increase in mass killings, the continued ways we did things life with abandon and push boundaries again. We are tension between law enforcement officials and those consumed with “getting back to normal,” but does this they are charged to protect needs to stop and we have before 2020? Are mean returning to the ways we did things before 2020? the power to do this. our past actions Are our past actions the “normal” we want back? the 'normal' we So has and/or will the COVID pandemic be a blessing want back?" It is vitally important to not lose sight of the lives cut in disguise? In my heart I believe yes - I hope yes! short by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of May 2nd, We are an intelligent, innately caring species so I do 2021 deaths from the novel coronavirus are over 575,000 in the U.S. and believe that we have the power to make changes to what we are doing in 3.2 million worldwide. Countries like India are currently registering over the moment to ensure a bright, prosperous and safe future for the next 400,000 new cases in a single day, which will certainly lead to a large spike generations. in loss of life. This pandemic has been an eye opener on so many fronts, we can’t miss this chance to make beneficial changes in how we treat our I want to thank all of you for reading (at least I hope you have read) my fellow man and our home…planet Earth. articles over the last year as my time as MDDS President is coming to a close. The seven years I have spent on the Board of Directors and the Many things have been learned over the past year and so many of us have Executive Committee at MDDS has been the most rewarding period of been made aware of our mortality as we were faced with the uncertainty time in my professional life. I can’t express the satisfaction of not only of how the virus would affect us, our family and our friends. As we identifying issues to address but to actually play a part in developing are coming to live longer, we have become more focused on what will solutions to these issues with the help of other similarly focused and happen to us way in the future (cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc). The pandemic dedicated individuals. We, the Colorado dental profession, the residents gave many of us our first real look at what could happen to us today. of Colorado, the United States and planet Earth cannot make lasting changes unless we are all committed to the cause, so please find time Is this to say that we should not look towards the future and focus in your life to enact change in whatever little way you can. In closing, I solely on today since tomorrow is truly an uncertainty? No, I believe it would like to leave you with a quote I recently came across that you will is important to be very careful and respectful of what we do each day hopefully carry forward in your daily life. and, of course, we need to enjoy each moment, but we cannot become complacent that the future will be OK without our help. The pandemic “Someday we will look back on this moment, and it will forever remind us and the surrounding events need to sound an “alarm bell.” Moving to never take little things for granted. It will remind us to hug with all of our forward we need to look at what we have done in the past, evaluate how hearts, to pause to appreciate holding someone’s hand, and to live in the it has influenced our today and learn from it. Now is not the time to be moments that we are surrounded by others.” -Laura Jones
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2nd Quarter 2021 mddsdentist.com
