Good Morning!

Thank you for visiting My News. I’ll explain why I put the exclamation point at the end of my greeting the next time I write a blog.

Hear a sneeze and within seconds you’ll hear exclamations from friends, relatives, and complete strangers. But you won’t hear me say, “Gesundheit.” Or, for that matter, “God bless you.”

Why?

Because during the bubonic plague many people associated a sneeze with impending death, Pope Gregory suggested a sneeze be followed with a blessing. I’ve never said, “God bless you” because that would mean I thought someone was about to die.

As we all know, sneezing is one symptom of COVID-19. Yesterday morning, a woman in the restaurant where Barry and I ate breakfast, sneezed over and over again. No one said, “God bless you.” After her third sneeze, many people looked at her with trepidation. I wanted to flee the restaurant.

Do you usually say “God bless you” when you hear someone sneeze? Have you changed since the pandemic? If not what have you changed since the pandemic?

Have a safe holiday weekend. Consider wearing a mask.

Thank you for reading My News.