Friend,

Today is Rosie the Riveter Day in the United States.  And it is fitting.  We are facing a moment in our history that is unlike any we have experienced.  One that will test all of us.  But we do have some guides – and Rosie the Riveter is one of them.

Rosie represents the incredible mobilization effort during World War II that called on each American to contribute to the war effort in new ways—including the women who went to work in the defense factories to help win the war.

Today, we are all being called on to contribute in new and different ways.  From our front-line of doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel who are fighting this new virus and treating those infected with COVID-19 to the truck drivers and grocery store workers who are making sure our store shelves are still stocked with the things we need.  Each of us can do something.

The ad campaigns featuring Rosie in the 1940s often included the question, “What are YOU doing?”  Of the many things we can do, each of us must work to “flatten the curve,” a phrase I am sure you have now heard.  It is essential to fighting the devastating impacts of this virus and ensuring that our hospitals can treat those who need care.  Social distancing, staying home as much as possible, and following the CDC’s guidance are essential now.

As the world around us changes, we all must do our part.  We will do things we didn’t imagine even just weeks ago.  Rosie reminds us that we can.

We’re all in this together.  And together, we can do anything.