It’s hard to talk about anything but the pandemic lately.

When I started writing this blog I was out of the country on a vacation that we had planned two years in advance, watching the pandemic unfold from afar. It may sound weird, but initially I was grateful to be relatively removed from the situation. I even thought it might even be over by the time we returned.  

Sadly, the numbers have climbed every day we have been gone, every day we’ve been back, and they’re spreading worldwide.

The world is changing so fast, and the changes that are to come – the ones we haven’t yet anticipated – loom large in my anxious mind. My feelings today are an echo of previous different pain-inducing events: my fourth grade teacher developing polio; the Cuban Missile Crisis; JFK’s assassination; 9/11, and so on. All of these events disrupted us in different ways on different scales and with different fears.  

We recovered from these but for many of us it changed things. Some of those changes were immediately apparent, others took time to reveal themselves. The uncertainty of what the next day would bring made us uneasy.  

So, as I read of schools closing, conferences cancelling, sports events like March Madness shutting down due to covid-19, I realize this could be a much different outcome. But we have to be intentional about it.

I’ve been imagining the time to come and – however long this continues – thinking about the whole world taking a time out.  This gave me some modicum of comfort. What if we all stepped back and took time to assess? I mean, really dig deep?

Perhaps, amidst the uncertainty and the very serious situation the world is in, this comes with the opportunity to recognize what is important to us.  

There are so many possibilities. We could begin to turn away from the ugly public rhetoric, nasty bullying on social media—the things that cause so much separation. This pandemic is calling us to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and those around us.  

We could build a true sense of community in our neighborhoods, in the cities, and in the world. We are all connected. Sadly, it takes a pandemic for us to understand that. What if we all took this time to care about one another again? 

There’s one thing that’s certain: we could use less of “what’s in it for me” and more of “how can I help.” Maybe while the world is in this cosmic timeout, we have a chance to change.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.