I appreciate all the ways people are making an effort to help one another during this outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
From individuals to entire governments, the focus is not only on survival but also on how small changes can make a big difference.
On a big scale, I noticed that in France the high-end industries of Christian Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy have switched their production of perfumes and colognes to the manufacture of hand sanitizer — and providing it for free to area hospitals.
In New York, its state department of corrections is overseeing the production of hand sanitizer by prison inmates. The sanitizer, which has a nice “floral bouquet,” according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will be used throughout state offices and facilities to help offset the widespread shortage.
EVEN SMALL things can make a big difference to how we cope with this ongoing crisis.
On Friday I took a few minutes to join a Facebook forum called #QuarantinePoetryforthePeople.
The morning’s readings included two poems.
The last stanza of “A Morning Offering” by John Donahue made me realize that no matter what the day harbors, I can’t let it overtake me. It reads:
“May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more.”
The second poem, “First Lesson,” by Philip Booth, reminds me of swim lessons as a child and my fears of learning how to float on my back. These days, I sometimes catch myself feeling seized by similar fears, wondering about the eventual outcome of this health/economic crisis.
“Lie back daughter, let your head
