The Light in the Darkness

I’ve always been that irritating person who tries to dig up a silver-lining out of everything, even dire situations like the one the world is in right now. As I get older it’s getting more difficult, I must admit, but not impossible.

As terrible and difficult as things are right now as the microscopic monster called Covid-19 makes its way through a whole civilization, there are amazing things sprouting of this darkness. We all have seen it online, on the news, people performing awesome acts of empathy, kindness, and generosity. But I’m talking in more global terms.

As I see it, before this virus, the world was drowning in negativity, hate, spite, lack of understanding and empathy, anger. It seemed as the whole world was turning against itself. No lack of pointing fingers, calling names, finding fault in the smallest, most negligent things possible. I’ve always been a pacifist who does not identify with any particular political party or philosophy. I believe that both sides have their good and bad points. I also know that sometimes fighting for what is right can get a little messy.

However, some of the most famous and successful social “changers” in the history of the world were pacifists, people who believed in the power of love and getting things done without violence or hate. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Ghandi, Susan B. Anthony to only name a few.

With this pandemic, the world seems to be teaching us a lesson that was quickly being forgotten of lately; that we are all in this together, that we are all a great big family and that we are all connected. That we all must stand up for the survival of the whole. That we are all pieces of the same puzzle.

We will survive this and come out on the other side battered and bruised, but better in other ways. This crisis is reminding us of things we have forgotten, is making us slow down and smell (metaphorically) the roses. It’s making us appreciate things we take for granted, like the internet, phones, books, TV, or the elusive toilet paper (just kidding). It’s making us spend more time with our pets and loved ones. My husband, for example, who is an extreme extrovert has been using all that energy and need for action to do projects around the house (okay, maybe that’s not always a good thing, lol). I have actually cooked a whole meal for the first time in months.

And you know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention. People are getting super creative about accomplishing things they had to cancel because of the social-distancing need. The world will be a different place once we beat this monster, but it will still be alive and thriving and, I’m hoping, better.

I would love to hear about how you are adapting to this crisis and/or about wonderful things you have seen coming out of the darkness.