Accentuate the Positive

As my family (and the world) approaches week 3 of preventive quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to share some positive things I have noticed over the last week.

I admit that I don't feel positive every day. I don't even feel good for most of any given day. A lot of the times lately, I feel overwhelmed, sad, scared, and downright paranoid. BUT (and this is a BIG BUT), I am really trying to find some good in all this mess. It's kind of the only thing keeping me sane right now. That and my Amazon Fire Stick.

• Kindness from Strangers: Lots of  it when you look around. I was standing in my driveway the other day as my kids were drawing with chalk, and a total stranger driving down my street smiled at me and waved as she drove by. I smiled and waved back. Sure, she could have been mistaking me for someone else, but what I really think happened is she saw a family finding a fun outdoor activity together and it made her smile. The few times I have been to the store to pick up essentials, people are keeping their distance from one another but they are smiling more at one another. It made me realize how little we did this before. I have also seen a lot of kindness on social media, of all places - people in my town are volunteering to shovel snow, pick up groceries or medications, or walk dogs of people who can't get out and about during these challenging times. My town Facebook group used to consist of a lot of bickering about trash pick up, school bus delays, and other things that are no longer in the forefront of anyone's minds. Now our page is mostly full of uplifting and positive messages, and genuine kindness, like this:

• The Freedom to be Weird: Things that were once weird just aren't anymore, and that feels very freeing to me right now. This morning I went and stood on my front lawn in my PJs and just stared out at nothing. I just wanted fresh air for a few minutes. And it didn't feel weird to me at all, in fact, it felt good. I doubt anyone driving or walking by would have given me a second look. Sometimes standing in my yard is the only outdoor activity I do now. I try to do more than that but it hasn't been easy with my work schedule and you know, my paranoia. And people get that, because we're all in the same messed up, sinking boat.

• We're All In This: What's going on now is scary, no doubt, but a small part of me feels comforted knowing that everyone - celebrities, politicians, neighbors, friends, strangers - everyone is going through the same thing at the same time. After 9/11, we banded together in a similar way. "These colors don't run" and "United we stand, divided we fall" were phrases repeated often during that time. People came together in a special and meaningful way to grieve and comfort one another, and that is what's happening now, too. "We're all in this together" and "Stay healthy, be well" are phrases repeated often now. It shouldn't take a tragedy to bring us together, but I'm grateful for the community love and warmth I have been witnessing not just in the US, but all over the world. It helps me feel less alone.

• Embracing Technology to Stay Connected: In an effort to make it so the whole world doesn't come to a screeching halt, so many companies have flipped the switch and are now offering training, meetings, and other social engagements using technology like Skype or Zoom. Organizations that had not even considered virtual activity have completely embraced it within the span of 2 weeks. Those of us who have school-age children are connecting with their teachers and classmates through email, Google classroom, and other online platforms. Colleges have gone to a completely virtual learning education plan for the remainder of this year. My local yoga studio is now offering classes on Zoom. At work our daily morning touch-base meetings are now completely virtual using Skype, and if I may say it, they are running like clockwork and are probably better attended now than when the meetings were conducted in person. I also cannot believe how many musicians have jumped on the bandwagon and started offering free online concerts using Facebook or Instagram Live. Even my church is offering live streaming worship services on Sundays. We all had access to this technology for some time, but in the last 2 to 3 weeks, it has completely blown up - in a good way. My gut tells me that when we eventually go back to face-to-face life, a lot of this virtual stuff will still hang around and be part of the "new normal". I'm sure my yoga studio will be overjoyed to go back to offering in-person classes, but I can see the virtual Zoom classes staying in place as an option for people who really enjoy doing yoga in the privacy of their own home. This crazy life we are living in right now has altered our "normal" and has given us an opportunity to try new things. 

It's easy to get caught up in the negative stuff, because there's so much of it, but if you look closely, very closely, you'll find there's a lot to be grateful for.

Stay well, my friends. 💛