It seems like a lifetime ago, when COVID turned our lives upside down, yet the consequences for many remain very real. While the shutdowns in much of rural Nebraska may not have been as severe as those experienced in our larger cities, our lives were still changed in ways we never imagined.

Schools closed or were disrupted, weddings and funerals were canceled, businesses struggled, churches wrestled with how to continue serving their congregations, and families found themselves separated during some of life’s most difficult moments.

Across Nebraska and across our nation, uncertainty, fear, and isolation affected us all, even if the experience looked different depending on where we lived. We quickly learned how much we had taken for granted, from gathering with family and friends to attending church, school activities and community events. We became keenly aware of how precious freedom is.

For many families, the greatest pain was not simply the virus itself. It was watching loved ones spend their final days alone.

Husbands and wives could not comfort one another. Children could not hold a parent’s hand. Grandchildren could not say goodbye to their grandparents. Those moments can never be replaced.

Then there are those whose lives were forever changed because they survived. Some people have never regained their sense of smell or taste. Others continue to battle autoimmune diseases, heart problems, respiratory issues, chronic fatigue, and other long-term complications they never experienced before COVID. Some believe those health challenges resulted from the virus itself, while others believe they resulted from the vaccines that we were told, under Dr. Anthony Fauci’s leadership would protect us.

Other health professionals were cautioning against this unproven vaccine and fighting for access to affordable, trusted treatments such as ivermectin, and being labeled as “crazy” by Dr. Fauci and the media. The truth was being manipulated by fear and difficult for the average citizen to determine.

Regardless of where someone stands on those issues, there is no denying that COVID left a lasting mark on millions of people and their families, taking an estimated 7 million lives globally with estimates as high as 36 million COVID-related deaths. For comparison, an estimated 6 million Jewish people lost their lives in the Holocaust.

That is why this week’s congressional hearing with Dr. Fauci struck such a chord with so many Americans. For many, it was about far more than politics. It brought back memories of uncertainty, sacrifice, loss, and questions that have lingered for years.

Watching Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoke his Fifth Amendment rights, refusing to answer even one question, left Americans frustrated and rightfully so! The American people deserve transparency, accountability, and an honest assessment of what was known, what was not known, what worked, what did not, and whether different decisions should have been made.

Leadership during a crisis is never easy, and no one expects perfection but we do expect honesty. The American people deserve nothing less.

The pandemic changed our society in ways that are sometimes hard to measure. Families argued. Friendships ended. Trust in many of our institutions was shaken. Children lost not only valuable classroom instruction but important years of social development. Depression, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation affected people of every age.

Sometimes I wonder if some of the anger, distrust, and division we continue to see today is part of the lasting fallout from those difficult years. As a person of faith, I believe there is a constant struggle in this world between truth and deception, good and evil and times of crisis often reveal the character of individuals, institutions, and leaders alike.

For those we lost, for those whose lives were forever changed, and for the future generations, we cannot stop asking the difficult questions. One thing is certain — Freedom is never free; it comes with sacrifice and intention and I pray we will never take it for granted. As Americans this is a value we must understand, fight for and pass on to the next generation.

As always, I encourage you to reach out with your thoughts, concerns, or ideas. Hearing directly from the people of District 43 helps me better represent you and your family at the Nebraska Legislature.

Tanya Storer represents District 43 — most of the Nebraska sandhills — in the state legislature. You can contact her through email at tanya.storer@leg.ne.govor phone: (402) 471-2628. Mail letters to Sen. Tanya Storer, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68508.

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