This is a time of great sadness, fear, and uncertainty for many of us. Pandemics are not known to many in our lifetime, and when it comes to disease and illness, we have come to expect an expedient diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Yet, the coronavirus, COVID 19, seems to elude modern science to some extent by taunting us with more people falling ill to it, and even more than we could have imagined, taken in its grips to face death. A death that is often lonely, isolated, and removed from family and friends. Then after death is acknowledged, alone again waiting for the time to rest in peace, while there are restrictions with viewings and burials. Thus, everything we have come to take for granted in our process of life, managing disease, illness recovery, and death is turned inside out and looks foreign to us, as if we are living in a different age.

But really, how has our life changed?
For one, we are social distancing and becoming more hygienically focused on handwashing, taking our shoes off before we come in the house, and covering our mouth and nose with masks of some kind when we go out of our living space. We keep a distance when shopping, and only a few people at a time can go into a store for essential items. Our shelves are not stocked to be brim, and some items are sold in limited numbers. The rule in the stores is “if you touch it, take it”, when you bring things home, keep them outside until you wash them down with soap and water. When you bring the cleaned items inside, dry them, and put them away in their right place. Remember also to wipe down your counters, clean your floors, wash down bathrooms more often, and clean yourself/and your clothing when you come in from outdoors where you were exposed to others, for the safety of yourself and others in your home.

If you want to talk with your doctor, you do so by phone or telemedicine, and if you are really sick, you may be screened before you are granted an appointment to visit your friendly doctor.

Being quarantined in your home with people learning their education by a computer during a handful of hours of instruction by their teacher is new. Parents now play a more active role in interpreting and helping their children understand the instruction they may have received earlier in the day. Parents may be working from home to keep the pace of what their job requires while keeping an eye on the children and making breakfast, lunch, dinner, and keeping everything necessary afloat until the evening when they may have a minute to get an update on the COVID19 situation. And there is more time together —with children and parents, and partners. There is minimal ‘alone time’ and space becomes limited when everyone is there all the time day in and day out.

Many people fear what will happen to their finances and futures as the stock market responds to the closure of businesses, and the economy changes its forecasts as the pandemic wreaks havoc with our world exchange of goods and services.

And still, we wonder, when can we get out and go back to living normally? But do you want to return to the pre-pandemic frantic pace of racing the clock and missing the flowers coming up, or the sun setting, or the quiet of the highway because no one is leaving their home, and the malls are all closed? Good question, don’t you think?

I have recommended to use this time wisely. To read a book and share time with family. To reflect on what you have to be grateful for, and what you value in each of your loved ones /family. To take the time to be humane to a neighbor—asking when you go for groceries if they might be in need of something at the store; or, do they need to take a moment and talk a bit about what they are feeling? Using technology to connect with family or colleagues is different but just as valuable to share time and experiences.

Take time to realize how good your world is even without the hectic race to get to work and get home from work. Realize that sitting and having breakfast or lunch, or dinner together is a nice thing for a change. That, driving down the highway without traffic and road rage is nice. Sitting in your home and not hearing traffic, but maybe children walking with their parents and talking quietly or not at all is different and special, kind of like in the ‘days of yesteryear” we see sometimes in the movies.

Take a moment to write down your experiences and realize that this difference offers you time to take a breath. Go outside and walk your neighborhood. Say hello from a distance and realize all that you have missed in the time you forget that you could walk instead of driving around the block.

Clean out a closet or some of those boxes that ‘are waiting for you when you have time”. Well, now’s the time to uncover old and new mysteries that have been stored for years. Time to declutter, both our homes and our minds. Time to think of peace, humanity, hope, and a new future.

Time to appreciate who we are, what we have, and how we want to change our life requirements when we come out on the other side of this pandemic. Maybe we will garden more, and try to eat homegrown vegetables. Maybe you will think about having a routine in the evening that involves conversation and games to challenge each other in a fun and exciting manner. Maybe we will take more baths, listen to gentle music, reach out to a friend more regularly, express our love and affection more intuitively instead of just in a holiday card. Consider enjoying your work, and seeking harmony, not just financial gains. Consider how we will look at medicine, exercise, self-care, nutrition, and integrative medicine over our traditional use of medication.

When this is over, everything should be different. How we view leaders, how we view our work, our time and who we spend it with, and how we want to establish our health and foundation for our future—and what we call important and how we prioritize our day.

This is your time to reflect, think, hope, pray, and believe that you can determine what your tomorrow will bring—don’t waste a moment in fear or worry, go forth with the power of hope and believe in the future. We are the future. And our world has proven that we are one-in-the-same when it comes to sickness and death. So, maybe we need to start there—we are one. Our world is one. We must take care of each other as we do our own.

Peace and harmony. Joyfulness and Hope. You paint the tapestry for our future tomorrows….

Namaste.