COVID 19: WHERE IS YOUR HEART, MIAMI?

When the Covid 19 virus first arrived in the City of Miami -- there were many ways the citizenry made their feelings known abut the situation. Most notably, a groundswell of support for all the persons who worked in the first line of defense providing us with needed services at great personal cost.

One of the things which popped up in the downtown Miami skyline were several heart images on the sides of skyscrapers thanks to creative lighting on windows.

In the midst of terror, those symbols were a sign of hope, a sign of humanity, a sign of one thing we all have in common -- a beating heart.

Johnson & Wales Marriott Downtown Miami FL

Residents would stand on the balconies in the city at 8:00PM each evening, clapping their hands, banging pots together and in the case of one very determined singer, attempting "DEO" in the best Harry Belafonte voice he could muster.

The hearts added to the sensation, gave us all something on which to meditate, to think about love.

But for the last few nights, that heart is gone. 

Not figuratively but literally. Gone. Out. 

At first I thought it might be something going on with the construction nearby, so I gave it no thought the first night.

Tonight, however, several days have passed and I'm thinking so has the heart.

Johnson & Wales Marriott Downtown Miami FL

In other words, Miami has lost its heart, and the evidence is on the side of the darkened building for all to see...or actually not see.

Your heart is gone, Miami, gone. Someone decided to put out your lights, literally, apparently not realizing how many of us saw that heart as a beacon of hope. It was a  constant in a series of weeks where every day some new horror posed itself to us.

It was a reminder of life, of our own hearts, a bit of light in a very, very dark chapter of the city and our lives.

Who took out Miami's heart?

And most importantly, who will put it back?



Amen, and pass the hand sanitizer.