Working on this issue of Brigham Health magazine, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, showed us how essential a buddy system, teamwork, and community are to preventing disease and injury. Those values permeate this issue, from cover to cover.
One of my heroes, Audre Lorde, wrote, “we hone ourselves upon each other’s courage.” While her poem beautifully portrays two people influencing each other, it can also describe relationships among members of an institution like the Brigham, or dwellers of a region, nation, and world.
I have been honed by the ceaseless courage and creativity of many Brigham leaders, scientists, clinicians, nurses, staff, patients, and benefactors. They have met the stresses and traumas of this pandemic with bravery, ingenuity, generosity, and compassion to bring us closer to a healthier tomorrow. They demonstrate that we’re all in this together, despite physical distance.
Whose courage hones you? What community or buddy helped you make it through 2020? What lessons from the past year do you want to keep and pass on? Please let us know at magazine@bwh.harvard.edu.
Joy Howard
Managing Editor
