What a difference a week makes.
As a mom-of-three, daughter and sister, I am, like the rest of the world, wondering what this means for my family, my community and the world as I know it.
Amid chaos, I have heard countless stories of stores opening for special seniors’ hours, people getting groceries for their neighbours and offers from community members to sew masks for frontline workers.
Our ancestors had the 1918 Flu, world wars, famines, and heartaches.
COVID-19 seems to be our cross to bear.
And what will become of us?
As anxiety mounts, we must try to embrace our thoughts and then place them on a mental shelf while we cultivate self-care, empathy and acceptance. If we continue to hold the weight of the world in our minds, it will be too much to carry. It is only heavy if we pick it up.
We can’t control everything. But we can control how we behave, who we help and the perspective we share with our children.
As I see stories of blue water in Venice canals, clear skies in China and people staying inside to support their fellow community members and hospital workers, I can’t help but find solace in the beauty that can grow out of crisis.
Tomorrow is uncertain. But what we can be certain about is our ability to choose how to act in this moment.
We will look back and remember this time. And what story will we tell?