If you have come to this column for any sort of medical advice you will be sadly disappointed. I have the same information about COVID-19 everyone else has and, unfortunately, that is not a lot. People are scared. Heck, I am scared. What is the truth about this virus and what can we do?
I might have been given the answer to these questions last week when my husband John and I were driving through the back roads of Gatlinburg on a recent sunny, beautiful afternoon.
It was a slow country drive in his 1947 Plymouth and we were taking it nice and easy, enjoying the sights.
All of a sudden, I spotted something and asked John what it was. He replied that it was a Ford Mustang GT, to which I smacked his arm and declared, “No, silly! Not the car! What was on the side of the road?”
Well, John had no idea what I was talking about and I could have cared less about the car.
Truth is, we were both in the same car, on the same road, looking in the same direction, yet, we both saw something different.
What I saw turned out to be an abandon roller-coaster in the hills alongside the road and what John saw was an oncoming car. We were both experiencing the same car ride, but, somehow we both saw two different things.
Then it dawned on me that the only thing different was that John and I were focused on different things.
Which brings me to the virus.
Right now, we are experiencing a crisis like never before. This will be a defining moment in our country’s history and there is a lot of fear and misinformation swirling about.
Are you looking at COVID-19 like an oncoming car about to crash into us? Or are seeing it as a roller-coaster ride that will soon be in your rear view mirror?
But even more importantly than how you view the virus is what role in history you are going to play during this crisis.
Time and time again I hear people say that a crisis will reveal someone’s true colors. It can either bring out the best of humanity, or the worst.
Right now, we are all at a crossroad and we can choose the path we take. Unfortunately, I have seen a lot of fear control people’s actions. Taking more than their fair share of groceries and toilet paper is a good example. Thankfully, I have also known people who actively go out of their way to help others. Shopping for them, doing their chores, watching other peoples children when they have to work.
The truth about the virus is that it is going to disrupt all of our lives.
The truth about the virus is that it is giving us all a chance to reevaluate what is important.
The truth about the virus is it is giving us all a chance to look inside ourself and get closer to our spiritual center.
The truth about the virus is it is giving us a chance to let our faith shine.
The truth about the virus is that it will either bring out the best in us or the worst.
Even in this time of social distancing, we are all in this together. We can all still be kind to one another. Remember- what we focus on is what we see.
Adjust your gaze and look for stories of hope and inspiration. Or better yet- be someone’s reason to have hope. Life is mysterious.
