Silver Lining

The Silver Lining, if we chose to see it…

There is a silver lining to the devastation of this Pandemic.  Most will refuse to see it, some will acknowledge it but will quickly abandon the premise and others will fight against it but to me that silver lining could enact a groundswell of support and gratitude brought about by the very virus that threatened us.

In just the past week, at least in California, Italy and other parts of the world, we have had the opportunity to stay home.  We have the chance, regardless of economic pressures we all face, to rethink how we live, reconsider what is important and what is not.  Too many, and by virtue of the empty shelves in the local markets, including Costco, toilet paper seems to be the most important thing in many people's lives.  For the life of me, I cannot see why anyone needs 500 rolls of TP?

As we sit at home, it forces us to rethink our lives, reconsider our past and retool for the future.  Some questions I’ve been asking:  

       Do I really need to spend so much time working?  Can I be at home more often?  Being forced to stay home has opened my eyes to the iron bars that surround me in relation to what I thought I needed in life.  Do both the husband and wife have to work?  Can our work schedule be altered toward more meaningful relationships at home?

Are we in a positive relationship?  Perhaps this is the time to rethink who we spend our time with?  Couples who are forced to stay with each other often find out they don’t like each other.  Take the time to improve your relationship or make the change if nothing can be done.

What have we done to mitigate some of the financial pressures imposed on many of us?  We have had to cut back on some of the services we have become used to and have found, I’m sure they were not as important as we thought. 

Our basic lives include shelter, food, companionship, of course, there is more but within those three we find all others.  We need to be engaged in a good cause.  Work is an essential part of our lives; we need to love and be loved. 

When we think about what is most important when we consider what is needed as opposed to we want we start to rethink our priorities and that my friends is a great gift, a true silver lining that will change the way we think, act and perform during this crisis and well after the crisis is past.

All Things Must Pass, and this will pass away but take the time today to prepare your lives for the future pandemics that are sure to come.  Now that we have been through one and have learned some of those basic life lessons, lessons that we have forsaken or simply forgotten, our new understanding will be a great blessing, to all those who were willing to learn, and live the new life given to us a