What we want to ask ourselves, is not why this virus has afflicted us but what changes we have affected for the betterment in our lives because of it. How have we gained in strength and recommitment to what is valuable and real and important -- and not just urgent, needy and speedy. When our lives have been forced to slow down, initially there is a dramatic break in our habits which created our current lifestyles. 
 

 We may be at a loss of what to do -- with our confinement, our sudden expanded time, fear of scarcity of material things being normally available at our fingertips and the habitual dependency upon others to fulfill our needs and growing gratifications. 
 When those are taken from us, we may feel our rights have been violated but instead they are our privileges. We either become whining, rebellious complainers or we can meet the current happenings and rise to the challenges of today. We can become more resilient and more resourceful -- and perhaps, more grateful.
 

 In my own life, I have embraced these changes as a learning to grow myself. 
I see other people come up with some highly creative options to the world we currently find ourselves in. As our psychologist friends will confirm that when we are thinking creatively, we are in our front brains, not our reactive back brains. That is a whole different viewpoint; one looking forward, the other looking backwards, remembering what we used to do, to have and to be attached. Our own bodies respond differently when we see things as a challenge rather than an overwhelming and unmanageable threat to our security. (If we look clearly and honestly, we know there are no real guarantees in life, except what is divinely within us.)
 Since we all know our past dependencies upon certain services and habitual commodities, I am writing about the creativity of our human race. What I have noticed or heard about the incredibly flexible, caring people in my own small part of the world. 
 

 I have witnessed people saying that for the first time in a long time, families are actually sitting down to dinner table together and talking to each other. They are finding out many things they didn’t even know, living in the same household. One husband, married for 25 years, told me that he never knew what his wife’s ears looked like before spending special time with her. People (with more time on their hands) notice neighbors and take time to ask how they are. They grocery shop for elderly neighbors and check up on them. Since the library is closed, one creative neighborhood, created a box on a pole, large enough to house books, CDs and movies. Some leave items, others borrowed them to use and return on an honor system. It helped neighbors clean out what no longer serves them and gives others a chance to enjoy them. Neighbors helping neighbors.
 

Many churches -- besides doing services online through Zoom -- also call on congregations to make sure they are doing okay and help with any needs they might have. Online classes are held much more frequently, with options of attending without your face showing so, if you choose, you can even attend in your PJ’s. Telemedicine has come into use much more than before and saved many from running to the doctor’s office.
 

 Parents tell me that they never knew their second grader was learning fractions! Parents’ involvement now with teaching their kids has accomplished two things: parents appreciate teachers even more and can relate in a different way to their children. The children also benefit from the closeness of being with the parent. Often before, they only knew day-care places. Teachers are busy too, learning new ways to reach out to their pupils. Staying at home together, some children are now being taught how to bake, cook, do laundry and many other chores. They are now learning actual life skills not taught in school. One mom even made up a little checkbook and a pretend credit card for her daughter who uses it to “buy” school supplies, treats, toys from her Mom and the little daughter keeps the checkbook balanced. How’s that for future real life-skills building!
 

 One family had grandparents visiting them in the park. The grandfather told me it was their first time to visit their grandkids since the pandemic mandates. They respectfully kept the six -foot distance and the park was the perfect place for all of them to get together. I also saw elderly people with walkers out walking, with their masks on too. Many doggies were leading their masters around the lake too, happy to be out in the fresh air. And what would a park be without the young lovers. Seeing them spread out on blankets and engrossed in deep tender conversations brought a smile to me. Even the wildlife fowl seemed to sense the goodness and simplicity of enjoying the day with each other. It was a joy to see the simpler natural things being treasured. 
 

 Gosh, I thought. This is ridiculous. Little kids have to go often and must need lots of paper!
 “Please, take this one,” I said quietly as I handed her my large package of TP.
The look on her face was both heart tugging and incredibly rewarding. 
 “Oh, my gosh,” she stammered. “You really don’t mind? That’d be so helpful.”
 “Not at all,” I replied. After all, I had all those paper napkins that I wasn’t going to use for parties with friends for a long time. Nope, didn’t need TP at all. 


 There are many feel-good stories about human kindnesses. So, when you think you can’t make a difference in our world, just look around you and you will find an opportunity every day to make someone’s day a little better because of your kind heartedness. Even a genuine smile may change someone’s life that day. You can make a difference, because you are the difference that will make our topsy-turvy world stable and serene again. You hold the future in your hands and in your heart. Hurrah for you too!