Thankfulness during this unprecedented time

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Living in confined areas with friends and families during a global pandemic feels surreal. The reality of this situation can make it difficult to find reasons to be thankful. Unlike any other time in my life, I feel an overwhelming amount of gratitude to so many people.

Medical Professionals

Every day you place the needs of your patients before you and your family's own needs. You are often doing this with a lack of resources and the proper safety equipment. Despite the risk, you are fulfilling our need for safety. To every one of you on the front line fighting this virus, thank you!

Warehouse Workers and Truck Drivers

To every one of you leaving the safety of your homes and family every day to make sure the supplies we all need are moving in and out of the warehouses, thank you!

Grocery Store Workers

Without you, we all would starve. The CDC has requested that people do not gather in groups larger than ten and remain six feet apart at all times. Despite this guidance, to provide for our communities, you have to go against these guidelines. All of us need to recognize your sacrifices and our part to help keep you all safe. To every one of you helping to assure our pantries are not empty, thank you!

Sanitation Workers

Our homes would be trashed without them. We can help them by wiping down our trash bin handles. To every one of you helping us keep our homes, garages, and yards clean, thank you!

Artists, Educators, and Teachers

It is hard to imagine what this situation would be like without the internet. Through technology and selfless acts of kindness and generosity, many artists, educators, and teachers are using the internet to keep us engaged.

The Luck Reunion streamed artists from across the country, sharing their music and messages of hope. Our yoga studio is streaming live classes to keep our community united and to help us maintain our mental and physical health. Teachers are creating lessons and using applications such as Google Classroom and YouTube to deliver these lessons to elementary, middle school, and high school students.

To all of you who are embracing change, learning new tools to help others, sharing your time and love to help us all feel together while we remain apart, thank you!

People coming together while remaining apart

Social distancing at this time is a necessity. Those that aren't able to understand this need increase the risk to all of us. It's true that many of us will only experience mild symptoms, but many of us will die. Our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and grandparents are all at risk. It's not just the older generations. Regardless of age, people with underlying conditions as common as diabetes are at risk. To those of you who are sacrificing your lifestyle for the safety of others, thank you!

Neighbors and Strangers on Nextdoor

So many of you are offering your help to deliver food and needed supplies, and run errands for people you have yet to meet. To every one of you promoting messages of love, hope, and kindness, you are selfless and amazing, thank you!

People dropping their political stances

I am avoiding any use of the R and D words. I have my views and the opportunity to voice them in November. Today, our focus should be on one viewpoint, overcoming this virus with as few lives lost as possible. To every one of you that can push your politics aside for the greater good of our society, thank you!

To anyone that reads this post

I am a single note in a world full of noise. If you stumbled across this post and made it this far, thank you for allowing me to occupy your time and know that my family and I are doing everything we can to keep you and your family safe. It's important to understand that we are in this together. Something as simple your smile can be that reminder. ʘ‿ʘ

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