The Best Part of Community is Community by Andrew Lewis

Yes, we have to stay away from each other.  That’s rough.  I know quite a lot of people who are having a difficult time with this social distancing.  But this does not have to be the death of community.

Community exists when we all work together to help each other.  Thanks to modern technology, our isolation does not have to be as isolating as it would have 100 years ago.  I just participated in a Zoom church services, where members of a local church got together to pray and talk and see if anyone in the church needed help.  You can call friends on the phone or video chat them.  I have some friends now trying to figure out how to do a game night using the internet.  And I mean tabletop games, not video games, but that’s an option, too.

Your local grocery store is probably the hardest hit place in the community.  With everyone trying to stagger shopping trips, the grocery stores are doing their best to keep the shelves stocked and keep you healthy.  So, this is a friendly reminder to be friendly.  Community is when we also help the helpers, the people who are doing essential jobs to keep us alive.  Don’t take the lack of toilet paper out on the cashier.  In fact, if you know a toilet paper hoarder, tell them to knock it off.  If you are one, give some TP to your neighbors.

Seriously, I don’t understand the toilet paper panic! This is a respiratory illness, not diarrhea.

If you know a truck driver, a delivery person, a healthcare professional, or anyone else who is keeping society running right now, be sure to thank them.  Probably not in person.  DO NOT SHAKE THEIR HAND! But let them know that you care.

And remember community.  This is stressful and frightening.  Yes, the economy might collapse.  Yes, things will get worse before they get better.  That uncertainty tends to make us a little on-edge and aggressive.  But while the individual may survive the crisis, the only way we emerge better from it is by supporting our community in any way we can.

Take care of yourself.  And then take care of your community.