The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused not only illness and death in the world it has caused panic, fear and worse of all negativity. Everyday the media is filled with news updates of deaths and of contamination information and people have grown very unsure. On social media the negative thoughts flow but I feel something here is being overlooked. There is an old saying, 'every cloud has a silver lining'. In amongst the fear and very real dangers we face, there is a hidden good.
One of the biggest victim groups for this virus is our elderly. The world is suddenly up in arms about not being able to visit their parents in their nursing homes. I sat back on my heels when i first saw the upset those quarantines caused. I just shook my head and thought about all the years i spent working in nursing home facilities and about how many of those parents were forgotten and alone all the time, their children's lives so busy they had no way to fit those visits to their parents in. The loneliness they felt is something that has stayed with me for many years. This is a devastating and heartbreaking way to find out but now perhaps these same children who have forgotten to visit will realize that their time with their parents is precious, at least for awhile, and that can only be a good thing.
Beyond that there are several more obvious positives. Parents are spending more time with their children. That's a huge thing. No more babysitters and daycare. How much opportunity do parents who work all day actually have to just do those special things with their own families without having to do it in a hurry? I watched a father bouncing his toddler daughter up and down yesterday , singing to her. Her smile was one of the most precious things I have ever seen.
I have been hearing singing and laughter and actual conversations around the neighborhood, people playing a guitar, another the piano and singing, bonding with those that they live with but rarely see. Time with our families and appreciating our parents . Two awesome things already despite the fear. Then there is the world around us. Listen.. Do you hear that? It is like stepping back 50 years. What a beautiful thing that is. You can hear. Noise is minimal, traffic is barely on the road, what a remarkable thing! My point with all this is to simply suggest that despite the fear the anger and danger, we need to look at what we have, our family, those who are with us and those who are far away and to appreciate those gifts we have right here right now and allow that love to flow over us and make us better and happier individuals. We can beat this, and put fear in its place. We can beat it better with Love, patience, and gratitude.
Bio - Laurie A. Smith was born and raised in the United States but has spent quite a bit of time in her adult years in the Okanagan and has been a member of Okanagan Metaphysics, still following it today from North Yorkshire in England where she resides now. She is a Shaman, a healer, a minister and a Reiki practitioner. She specializes in healing meditation and is at present studying Runelore in a greater effort to understand the mysteries of the Universe
© Laurie A. Smith, 2020 – Published with permission.
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