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In February 1978, when I was about 7 years old, the "Blizzard of '78" hit New England. Schools were closed; my dad was home from work for a week; no-one could get to the grocery store; power was out for several days. I'm sure my parents were concerned about how long we would be trapped in our house, how we could manage for food, whether we had enough firewood to keep warm until the power came back on. But my sister and I loved staying cozy by the fire, sledding down the hill in our backyard, building HUGE snowmen, playing with neighborhood friends, having dad home!, and otherwise thoroughly enjoying our unexpected vacation.
In September 2001, my sister and I were on a cruise ship, pulling into the harbor in Bermuda, when all the channels on the ship's video system abruptly changed to coverage of New York City, where planes had just crashed into the two World Trade Center towers. Many of our fellow passengers were from the NYC area, and the cruise line and ship's personnel immediately made free email and ship-to-shore phones available to everyone so they could check on their loved ones. Strangers passing in the hallways would grab one another's hand and ask if they were all right. Even silent smiles of support were passed back and forth. There was an unspoken camaraderie among all the passengers, an unspoken agreement to still have fun, but not so much fun as to cause guilt among those still waiting for news. For those few days, we all had a connection.
In April 2013, I was in the area that was locked down as the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects were hiding out in residential areas. I had two small children and had no idea whether I would be able to get milk and other necessary supplies before the suspect was found. But I was reassured when I saw footage of police officers delivering milk to similar families, and neighbors offering each other supplies. The lockdown didn't last that long, but we all had the feeling that we would work together to be sure everyone came through the ordeal unscathed.
In every case, people around me displayed the best of human behavior: helping, sharing, supporting, loving.
Although we are seeing much contrary behavior on the news, with people hoarding supplies, students on spring break ignoring recommendations of social distancing in order to drink and party, people with known exposures to patients with the virus and people with clear symptoms of the virus - even people who have been formally diagnosed with COVID-19!! - shrugging off CDC guidelines and going about in public, even with all that selfish and ill-advised behavior, if you look, there is still lots of kind, compassionate, and loving behavior on display. People offering to pick up supplies for elderly or at-risk neighbors, teachers offering online assistance for parents struggling with homeschooling, home sewers offering to make masks for medical personnel, school cafeteria workers packing lunches and dinners for families with children who depend on the free school lunch program, Meals on Wheels volunteers cheerfully continuing to make their deliveries, online tutoring companies offering free subscriptions for homeschooling resources.
As Fred Rogers' mother said, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." No matter how terrible and difficult this pandemic becomes, there will always be helpers. Neighbors, medical workers, teachers. People. All kinds of people. People offering money. People offering skills, People offering time. People offering love.
Love. That's really what it all comes down to. There are always helpers, because there is always love.
I charge each of you who reads this: Show love to someone today. Show love to your children. Show love to your parents. Show love to your spouse. Show love to your neighbors. Show love to a stranger.
Love one another.
As Peter said, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins."
(1 Peter 4:8)
(1 Peter 4:8)
Love one another.
