Sunday Best: The moment everything changed

A year on from the pandemic.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 14, 2021 Do you remember the moment everything changed? When the streets and shops emptied and the world suddenly stopped? We've been living with the pandemic for a year now. It was inescapable — and touched all of our lives in one way or another. But people's experiences of this period have vastly differed. This week, we published a series, "The Week Our Reality Broke," that reflects the myriad ways in which the pandemic uprooted our lives — as well as offered opportunities for meaningful change. Whether you relate to the New Yorker who never fled, the emergency responder who was inundated with "sick fever cough" calls or one of the many others who shared their story, one thing is clear: This year has changed us all. — Jennifer Brown Yaryna Serkez We Did Not Suffer Equally The pandemic has not been a story of an infection curve rising and falling, but of two lines — the haves and have-nots — moving in different directions. By Yaryna Serkez Photograph by Zhidong Zhang; Art by Mario Hugo The Past Year Has Taught Me a Lot About Nostalgia Yearning for the Before Times as a mythic era risks obscuring the ways in which the Before was really many different kinds of before. By Leslie Jamison Photograph by Adam Pape; Art by Mario Hugo I Was an E.M.T. in New York Last Spring The losses emergency responders witnessed are beyond what human minds can grasp. By Jennifer Murphy Photograph by John Francis Peters; Art by Mario Hugo The Coronavirus Made the Radical Possible The past year has seen progressive pipe dreams become reality. But can we hold on to what we've learned? By Rachel M. Cohen Photograph by Elinor Carucci/Edwynn Houk Gallery; Art by Mario Hugo They Escaped New York During the Pandemic. Make Them Pay. Mayor de Blasio, here's what to do with all the people returning to the city from log cabins and beach houses. By Luke Winkie Photograph by Aundre Larrow; Art by Mario Hugo Our Year of Mutual Aid In Chicago, groups of volunteers gave us a glimpse of a society where neighbors rely on one another. By Maira Khwaja, Trina Reynolds-Tyler, Dominique James and Hannah Nyhart Photograph by George Etheredge; Art by Mario Hugo The Coronavirus Killed the Gospel of Small Government The crisis showed, once and for all, that things fall apart when the government steps aside. By Zachary D. Carter   We Realized Our Lives Wouldn't Go Back to Normal 27 Americans share the moment they knew the pandemic would change their lives. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Read the full Opinion report here. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Sunday Best from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018