The lockdowns will lift, likely soon. If they do, be patient. Don’t rush out to find normal. It’s not there. The virus still roams free. That means you shouldn’t. I won’t be seeing my mom, telling her it’s ok to go back to church. It’s not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be optimistic. We…More
Tag Archives: coronavirus
Feel Connected
Be the first to initiate, text, call, zoom. Just because you’re in isolation doesn’t mean you need to be isolated. You can be connected, connecting, loved, loving. Reach out to your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors. Ask them how they’re doing. Wish them well. And the loneliness you feel will somehow feel far less lonely. You’ll…More
Three Ways to Improve Your Life, Even Now
You can improve your life, even in this pandemic. I’m not saying life’s ok. It’s not. We’ve lost much. Even with all of that, you can continue to grow, learn, rise. Here are three ways. Work Better We can all work, even if you’ve lost a job. Unemployment isn’t the end of the world.…More
Grow today
Just because a pandemic is driving us all crazy doesn’t mean you can’t grow today. Try something new: Learn a new language, an unfamiliar musical instrument, paint a painting, write poetry, code, cook a strange dish, blog. Anything. Yes, it will make you feel like you have a dunce hat on, unsure of yourself, a…More
The frontlines of COVID-19—A love letter
To the nurses, EMTs, physicians, staff who are on the front line of this war, thank you for risking and sacrificing health, safety, comfort to ensure our health, safety, and comfort. You even sacrifice time with your family so we can be with ours. You are exposed so that we can be protected. You are…More
We could have been homeless—A story
It was the end of February, and I was scared. Something was going on in China. It was shrouded and strange but scary. People were getting sick, and many were dying, and it was growing at an alarming rate. I started to suspect that it was already in NYC. “I mean, how could it not…More
Just survive
Thriving is great, but sometimes surviving is the best you can do. Because, you know, life gets crazy. Jobs get lost, companies go out of business, relationships break, people leave us, we get sick—pandemics happen: crazy: Those are the moments that aren’t controllable and cause us great pain. Right now, the world can feel like…More
Get things done when working from home (even with kids)
Working from home can sound fantastic, with all of that freedom and no commute, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes it can feel impossible. But it’s not. Yes, you get to roll out of bed and be at your desk in a couple of steps without even needing to put a shred of clothing on…More
Keeping perspective in crisis: This too shall pass
Yes, I’m afraid. But my fleeting fear rests on this fact: This too shall pass. Coronavirus should be taken seriously. We shouldn’t just keep on hanging out with all of our cohorts, sharing food, drinks, laughs in a crowded space, spraying respiratory droplets all over each other like we’re watering the lawn. Gross, but true.…More
Cleft repair surgery and coronavirus—a story
It was a beautiful morning in the city, with spring in the air and magic around every corner. But for me, New York didn’t blossom in my eyes; it was different for us. I was taking our nine-month-old baby in for surgery. He had a cleft palate (and lip, but that was already repaired). A…More
John Pa 