It sounds a bit strange, but as I approach the end of my 4th week of “hunkering down” in the era of COVID-19, there are things I have seen and experienced that make me quite thankful. In no particular order:
I am thankful that my extended family is safe in this time of uncertainty.
I am thankful for my wife.
I am thankful that we have had the time to rediscover board games, playing cards, reading and simply talking.
I am thankful that my wife hasn’t shot me yet.
I am thankful for the nurses and doctors who face the danger to heal the sick.
I am thankful for the first responders who keep our streets safe and protect our homes, despite the danger to themselves.
I am thankful for the cashiers, baggers and stockers who report to work every day to help supply a frightened public.
I am thankful for the truckers who keep the food and necessary supplies coming during a heightened time of need.
I’m thankful for the calm demeanor and respect for others that I see when I do venture out.
I am thankful for the plumbers, electricians and HVAC specialists who keep the equipment humming.
I am thankful for the food workers who are doing what they can to serve curbside or deliver.
I am thankful for the parents playing with their children in the streets of our neighborhood – we haven’t seen that phenomenon in many years.
I’m thankful for the funny memes that keep us amused in a time of isolation.
I’m thankful that my company has escaped harm and continues to operate smoothly.
I’m thankful that I still have an income.
I’m thankful for tremendous associates who have adapted quickly to our remote reality and who have done an outstanding job despite the challenges.
I’m thankful for the American flags I see popping up in places where they have not been previously present.
I’m thankful for neighbors who check in on one another and make sure their friends are safe.
I’m thankful for the many, many stories of volunteers who help those in need.
I’m thankful that I live in a country that would sacrifice so much to protect the vulnerable among us.
And finally, I’m thankful that therapeutics will be found, this will eventually pass, and despite all the dire warnings about a “new normal,” life as we knew it will eventually return – except for the fact that we may have a bit more appreciation for the smaller things we used to take for granted. I suppose I am most thankful in this time of crisis that we have discovered the importance of one another and may appreciate the power of human interaction just a bit more when it is done.