Coronavirus: Appreciating that love is all around us as we come together and yet, remain physically, apart.

Well, here we are. My inspiration for the title for this month’s blog comes from “Love Actually”. Love is all around us. We just have to look for it. For weeks now, I have been hearing all the wonderful and magical gifts that have been occurring around the world. Many have brought tears to my eyes. We waiver from anger to sadness to realizing that there is still good in the world. Thanking Forward as we watch and see these small miracles.

Here are some really great things that have happened because of the current situation, we are all facing:

• Local veterinarians, dentists and even, a colleague are donating PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to hospitals. I saw a post on Next Door (a social media site for neighborhoods) last week, in which a neighbor had 40 boxes of PPE and wanted to know where to send it. My office has PPE and they have donated it as well. People are making masks, firing up their sewing machines and producing. A group of young entrepreneurs utilized their 6, 3D printers and produced 40,000 plastic shields. They also, solicited their colleagues that have 3D printers to help the cause.
• People are calling up the elderly and getting them groceries.
• As I am watching a woman in LA who lost her job on CNN, a viewer called in and is paying this woman’s rent to help her. WOW! Paying it forward.
• I heard about a nurse that died in NYC and CNN captured the story. The sister of the nurse wanted the body to come back to Pittsburg and CNN helped to make that happen for that family.
• There is a Teddy Bear game happening throughout the world which was created by Stevie-Lee Tiller, 13, in New Zealand. She was bored and stuck at home. It’s like a scavenger hunt suited for social distancing: People put teddy bears and other stuffed animals in windows, on porches, in trees and on parked cars. Then, children go for walks or drives with their families and try to spot as many as they can.
• Auburn University figured out how to alter a CPAP machine and make it a ventilator. They had to create a part that would work to make this happen. Last week they figured it out and Tesla has donated hundreds of CPAP machines. Just another creative way that people are looking at ways to help.

I love all of these stories and I hope they provide you with some comfort. It helps us to remember there is still good in the world and that we are here for each other. Love is all around us!

Thank IT Forward and don’t forget to tip those people from UPS, FEDEX, grocery delivery, Grub Hub, food delivery, etc. These are our heroes out there helping to us stay home.