Silver Linings
(The pandemic caused by the COVID 19 is definitely a negative force that is hurting our world’s health, economies, and life as we know it. But many people are also pleasantly surprised to find out there have been some benefits to this pause in time. Here is what I have compiled from friends, family and clients thus far. To truly accept things we cannot change, sometimes seeing the silver lining helps.) Thank you, COVID 19… For making time for me to teach my kid to ride a bike and my teenager to drive a car For freeing up my time to read more books For getting me out of an in-person interview For saving me money that I used to spend on beauty salons, gel nails, massages, and dry cleaners For stopping my husband from traveling so much For offering me the chance to check in on my parents more For giving me unexpected time with my college kid For letting me finally pick up a guitar and take online lessons For suggesting I make homemade bread For inspiring me to write a poem or song, paint on a canvas, or work on the book I’ve been wanting to write For making it so almost every night is family game night For pausing the rat race of school, endless sports practices, and overpacked weekends
For eating more nutritious food at home and going through the drive-through less For easier online college exams For urging me to walk more For arriving in Spring when nature is full of new life and wise enough to show us that life will go on For affording me time to make more memories with my kids For letting me play with my pets more For offering the chance to foster and then adopt a pet For reconnecting with my college friends For long lost friends and family that are reaching out For increasing my knowledge base of movies, Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok For reminding me that health is important and fragile For encouraging me to give more to charities For reigniting within me the urge to survive For reminding me that I can only control my own actions and little else For leading me to closets and garages that need cleaning out For offering the opportunity to pray more and read my Bible more For waking up my survival instincts to prepare for anything, especially a toilet paper shortage For later morning wake up times For shower beers and 2:00 happy hours For mask-making angels For health care workers who are saving lives every day
For illuminating the importance of schools and more importantly, teachers For grocery stores and their staff who provide our basic needs For government leaders that are trying to protect us from ourselves For stirring up compassion in others For showing me that you “really” only live once and tomorrow is not for certain For giving me the courage to rent out my house and move to a city I love while working from home For offering me the opportunity to work from home and see my family more whilst commuting less For allowing me to use the word “whilst” in a non-rhyming poem For the long walks with my dog For showing me how many birds live in my neighborhood For less noise pollution For the realization that I really don’t like the people I work with and life is much calmer without them For teaching me that I don’t need Starbucks every day For granting me time to play more golf, fish, and kayak For allowing me to sleep more and shower less For growing out my beard For affording me the opportunity to buy a house that suits me better For making it so I eat out less For lower gas prices For bringing to life the generous nature of others For raising my awareness of the uncertainty of life-that was always there For enlightening the consciousness of thousands, maybe millions For creating a new ideas of selflessness and community outreach For helping me appreciate our freedom For coming during 2020 when technology was already ready for you with Zoom For laying me off but then urging the government to help me so I can survive For saying that this is a good year to plant a garden For teaching me to cut and dye my own hair And for proving once and for all that one person can literally change the world.
Thank you, COVID 19! You are not a friend and you are surely wreaking havoc on this beautiful life we have been gifted, but when we look closer we can clearly see you are not 100% bad for us.
