Worldwide stress. A daily media barrage focusing on Covid-19, with cases and deaths rising worldwide rising. No one is immune to this stress, the virus or the financial fall out. As more states finally adopt “shelter in place” and the lockdowns continue on any non-essential travel and work, we all need to listen and restrict our movements to gathering food and medication only. No ice cream runs. Flatten the curve and stay the F&@$ HOME!!! It not only for you; it's for all of us and especially the healthcare field!

The mounting pressure put on the frontlines of our healthcare system is immense. All the doctors, nurses, hospital staff, first responders are battling daily to keep us all well — and our gratitude is beyond words. To them, to the truck drivers still out there delivering supplies, food, and needed equipment to keep us functioning, to the grocery store and restaurant kitchen workers, the ranchers and farmers working tirelessly to keep us all fed, THANK you for all that you are doing during this pandemic.

So, let’s focus on silver linings and the positive for just a second. As I sit at my desk in quarantine, I find myself reflecting on how Americans and people around the globe have a new set of priorities such as life, love, family and survival. Good seems to be resurfacing and remind us that being thoughtful of others, reaching out, checking on and feeding neighbors is a great idea. On our little dirt road here on Cape Cod Grandparents are giving facetime art history lessons, 10 of us separately cooked to feed 70 people dinner at a homeless shelter in Hyannis, masks are being sewn for local nursing home staff, families are building giant forts together in their living rooms to camp in and everyone is planting food. On a personal note, my wife is recovering from a particularly bad bought of bronchitis/asthma after returning from aboard that was kicking her butt. The days between her getting tested and the negative results seemed endless. Thankfully she was spared.

She sent me this video during a really bad breathing day. She said it filled her with music and it helped her through a rough patch. I'd like to share it with you. It’s Ringo Starr along with musicians around the globe singing together in harmony to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of "The Weight." It really drives home the reality that we are all in this together. It certainly brought a great outlook and a giant smile to our faces.

Please pause every day we are in this strange new normal and reach out to someone. Showing acts of kindness rather than panic is a very selfless act that can spread like wildfire. Maybe, just maybe, it will become a thing. My query this week is a simple question. How are you coping? And, please share your stories of hope and silver linings.

Be well, stay safe, stay home, wash your hands on a regularly basis and let’s all do our part to Flatten the curve! Live well every day!

Make the best of an unprecedented situation

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