We grow in times of crisis, and I do not mean just this type of crisis which has been mostly a chapter in history books for most of us until now. You get a bit winded when life tries you hard enough. But then you also find yourself thinking more about the ripples that you notice showing up on your soul around the spot where life threw that big rock in when you weren’t looking.

In times of crisis people show their best and worst, and it’s a choice to do so. OK, fear can make you do ugly things, but now it’s the time we cut out the invisible scape goat and show up as we are: vulnerable and scared but willing to do good things for the greater good. Physically removed but soulfully present.

I find myself wanting to stop checking the news and yet, the news is a reminder as to why we cannot lean towards ‘come on, it’s not so bad.’ All those at the forefront are counting on us to learn their reality so we can help make it easier for everyone in a not so distant future.

But about that growth in times of trouble. Mine shows as appreciation for the things I have been taking for granted when life was just life as we know it:

  • Shopping for food – walking carefree into the store, grabbing a basket and making my way around aisles to grab necessities.
  • Getting out of the car and not having to wipe the wheel and other parts I touched with possibly virus-carrying hands.
  • Getting together with friends for coffee. The biggest problem was deciding which coffee shop because there are so many good ones. Now mostly closed.
  • Soft hands. Now constantly dry, despite oceans of moisturizers (also, baking does not help the cause because you know, flour dries them a bit more but so what.)
  • Hugging friends and getting our faces close enough to whisper things when that was part of the conversation.
  • Having people over for dinner or the other way around. Togetherness.
  • Thieves Oil (hey, it worked against the plague.)

Gratefulness comes in strange packages at times. One that I carry with me daily now is the triple thank you to all healthcare professionals showing up every day to fight everyone’s battle and to those who still work in a public place and cannot move their work home and who are counting on us to act responsibly.

It’s a lot to take in. This is a crisis but also an opportunity to show our grace. Among others, by not showing up physically anywhere unless we have to. Another thing I used to take for granted.