Each morning I name three things I’m grateful for. This morning I woke and immediately thought of the coronavirus. Could I find gratitude even now, amidst the coronavirus.
Here’s are my thoughts about being grateful even admist the coronavirus:
I’m grateful that more people are using “we” and “us” than ever before in their dialogues. “We” are all in this together. This affects all of “us”. A crisis can be a catalyst for coming together, and our world needs as much coming together as possible.
I’m grateful for the emotions people are feeling and sharing. Fear is not fun to live with. But emotions, especially vulnerability, makes us human. It allows deeper, more heartfelt connections. We can learn to be a listening ear for one another and develop greater understanding than ever before.
I’m grateful that the coronavirus has brought to light the inequities we as a society need to address (and have needed to address for a long time):
- The most vunerable populations need to be cared for. We need to always (not just now) strive to keep the eldery safe and the immune compromised well.
- We need to advocate for and protect and empower every disenfranchised group in our world.
- There needs to continue to be local, state and federal plans in place to help the working class and working class poor who will need financial assistance now and well into the future.
- We need to ensure future generation will have a fighting chance to realize their dreams, via affordable education, a healthy planet and a compassionate and just government.
I’m grateful for the level of caring, compassion and concern I have been witnessing. Thinking about how our actions affect others is a wonderful and necessary component for a compassionate and successful society.
I’m grateful this pandemic has highlighted the need for access to healthcare for all. It has helped people understand in a very direct and practical way that each person’s health and wellness is important for the overall health of the world.
I’m grateful for the opportunity the coronavirus provides for stillness, rest and introspection. It’s a perfect time to learn to “be still”. To learn to navigate alone time and sometimes even lonliness. To navigate through life without distract yourself from your feelings, your thoughts or your relationships by constantly “going” or “doing”.
I’m grateful that children and teens all over the country, without the early start to school, are finally getting enough sleep! Can you say “less crabby?” And wouldn’t it be great if schools allowed for more online learning in general?
I’m grateful that with the ceasing of most unnecessary travel the earth is getting at least a small respite from the load of toxic pollution she has been enduring.
I’m grateful for the additional time to spend with family…have you seen the “marble olympics? Check out “Jelles marble run” on Youtube; it reminds me of so many youthful summers spent shooting marbles and floating straws alongside the curb after a big rain. That’s the kind of sporting event I can really become a fan of!
With gyms closed, and a need to “just get out”, I smile when I see so many people outside going for walks. So many people are outside, breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the sunshine while re-connecting to mother earth and re-grounding themselves in the process.
The coronavirus reminds us:
- We are all connected; each of us matter and each of us should be cared for and cared about every day, crisis or no crisis.
- We all need to be a part of the solution to create a more equitable, sustainable, peaceful and compassionate world. We need to help ensure we have a government that operates from this premise.
- Not only can we navigate through a crisis, we can rise up, ethically, morally and practically and come together to make positive changes that have needed to be addressed for many years.
