Dear World,

Here it is. The post I waited to write. I listened, I watched, I read. There was no shortage of opinions in the form of blog posts, vlogs, and social media messages.

For years, I have only read the bare minimum of the news to stay up to date, because it overwhelms me. The past 10 days have been an overload of news to last me a lifetime. I couldn’t stop listening, I have spent nights binge reading and watching the news so that I didn’t miss a single update. It was doing me no good, but I couldn’t stop. I was clinging on to the statistics, the facts, and the scientists and doctors as they explained how much worse it could get if we don’t flatten the curve.

I have called family and friends in Italy, Switzerland, and BC, to see how things are going there, how they are taking care, how they are prepared, how things are being handled where they lived. I listened to my Italian cousin as she said, “stay home, don’t take chances, this is serious”, as she told me she couldn’t drive from her town to the town of her 82-year old mother who lived alone. I talked to my great aunt as she said to me, “these things have happened before, we just forget” and “if it’s my time, I’m ready”. Italy is in the worst-case scenario and they are there because of the attitude they (the collected country) took prior to the outbreak – that attitude is the same other countries are taking now. Even from Quebec to BC, information is shared differently, concerns are expressed at various levels, and decisions are not consistent for the whole country. The global solidarity is what we need now. It might seem like an overreaction to some, but who cares if we overreact if that means we can save lives?

Dear World,

You’ve seen it all before. Us humans never seem to understand until we are in it. “If it isn’t happening to me, it isn’t happening.” “I’m healthy, I’m far away, it isn’t going to be that bad here.”

Here it is, World.

Humanity, from north to south, east to west.

We are unified in this invisible virus you have placed on us.

The spread is happening across the whole of you, like a blanket.

You are covered, and closed, sheltered and alone.

You needed a rest, you needed a time out.

We didn’t listen, we didn’t hear you cry loud enough.

So, without a word, without a sound, you made your move.

How many times you must have heard “I’m just so busy”, “I wish the kids were in less activities, I’m worn thin”, “I just can’t come home from work, I’ve got too much to do”, “If we just had more time..”.

You listened to us, when we weren’t listening to ourselves.

You brought us to our knees when we wouldn’t bend our routines.

We are scared, confused, sad, alone.

But I know you have a plan, dear World.

It is not clear yet, it is heartbreaking, and horrific.

But if we just listen now, we can help you help us.

This is not business as usual

This is a new normal – a normal we desperately need to embrace.

Forcing us to stay away will help us reconnect

Isolating us will help us seek internal comfort

Our fear of the unknown will challenge us to look deeper into our purpose

This shift is one that spiritual leaders have been preaching about for centuries.

We have lost many and will lose many more, we will grief, we will be changed from our losses.

Our condolences will be spread across the globe for every human in every country.

We will make better choices, we will demand solidarity, we will become one.

What you always wanted, World.

We will become one.

I know this isn’t easy, mamas. I know you have your children at home and things are different. But I challenge you to remember the times when they were just little. When they weren’t at school, and you were the one person there for them. You were there before the teachers, before the projects and assignments, you were there to start them off. As challenging as it may be, remember when you put your work aside to play with them, when you took calls later in the day when they went to bed, remember when you ate lunches together, when you went on walks together, when you cuddled without checking the clock. This is the time, my friend. This very difficult moment in our society is also meant for you. Shift your thinking if you can and see what good this can bring to your family and to you.

I wish you health and safety. And I wish you so much love.