Well, hello out there. How is everybody holding up in this current situation? I hope you are all warm, dry and safe, with enough to eat and extra toilet paper at the ready. We are all hanging in there at my house.

This is all such uncharted territory for us!  I mean, OK, not entirely – not as a civilization. Recorded history chronicles numerous mass epidemics. But, as individuals: us, you, me and your great aunt, this is new. And I’m not sure we’re rockin’ it. Yet.

I think the difficulty lies in the very ease of the ask. We are not good at doing nothing.

We see the incredible bravery of the doctors and nurses, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other first responders on the front lines and we want to pitch in and help, too. We applaud corporations like New Balance, Dyson and L.L.Bean, which are pivoting to make masks and other essential equipment, and we want to be a part of those solutions. Our minds are not wired to see “helping” as sitting on the couch.

So, realizing that we are “doers,” here are a very few ways to be a part of the solution from a safe distance.

Animal rescue organizations are looking for willing homes to foster adoptable pets through the pandemic and since many of us are working from home anyway, it is a win-win. The animal gets care and you get someone to talk to that doesn’t mind your presence 24-7. Folks not in a position to foster might be able to donate pet food, both for the animals living there and for distribution to pet-owning families who have lost their jobs due to the crisis.

Set up a “web” of virtual house calls to friends and neighbors. Put it on your schedule and  make “check in on people” an actual “thing to do.” Isolation is rough. If you know young ones, set up a Facetime where you read a book to them (and their parents can have a moment). If you’re really feeling ambitions, host a virtual dinner party. But honestly, just a quick call or text can make a world of difference.

Hop on the latest old trend and start a Victory Garden. Come on, you know you’ve been wanting to. You’ve read that article online about feeding your family on a miniscule plot.  Lawns are so 1986. Now is the time! Well, at least it is the time to plan it – it’s still kind of cold out there – and maybe start some seedlings. Mix the veggies in with flowers, make it strange. When things come up, share the bounty. By then we might even be able to share in person.

Keep a journal. No, really. This moment seems engulfing, but six months from now you won’t remember your insights. It’s human nature. Write down what this moment is like, what’s hard, what’s maddening – and what are the unexpected joys and gifts? Write down that news blurb you found so uplifting, the one about the decrease in pollution. Write down the “not right” things going on that will need to be addressed once we are back in business. Envision and document the changes you want to see and to be a part of. Create your own personal Marshall Plan for the future, and be ready to enact it.

Most important of all, however, practice patience with your fellow housemates. Practice patience with yourself. Realize that staying home when able, honestly, is a big deal. It is helping.

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