It’s everywhere despite trying to avoid it. It has caused the world to change at a rapid pace, and also continues to be the elephant in the room at the same time. Do you ever notice people flinch when you are in a position that forces you to be close to each other? It’s talked about on the news almost constantly, and impacts your life in all kinds of ways. Simply put, it’s here, it’s everywhere, and there’s not much we can do about it… unless, you are being kind and considerate to others.

Has this pandemic made us any more kind or considerate to others? I always try to amplify the positives, because there are always helpers, who are more silent supporters, because they don’t want the publicity for doing the right thing. The front-line workers, from healthcare workers to truckers to work trades to grocery store employees.  Firefighters, paramedics, the people who pick up the garbage we leave at the curb.

There are people making masks, donating either money or items to several different organizations (look to see what they are in demand of first before you donate), as well as their time through volunteer efforts, or even being considerate of others by staying home as much as possible. There are always several different ways you can help, so don’t feel like you aren’t doing as much as others. Sometimes it can be as simple as checking in on a friend, delivering groceries to your parents, or even making masks in your spare time.

But the main question to ask is: has this pandemic made us more polite? I’m not entirely sure, since we Canadians do have the strong stereotype (we’re really polite) for a reason. Several companies are volunteering their efforts to help those in need, particularly food banks helping first time users and whose demands have skyrocketed due to the lack of income affecting families. There are children and adults who are helping create personal protective equipment – from 3D-printing plastic masks to sewing gowns for the front-line supporters. These efforts are being showcased a lot, and with good reason: they are helping their community in a time of great need, and that’s what helps us to get through something as disruptive as a virus keeping us locked into one place for a long period of time.

There have unfortunately been some ugly stories: ridiculous speeding on the nearly-empty (or incredibly light) roads, increasing violence in some high-crime areas (but has really decreased in other places), and there are an awful lot of scams out in the wild targeting those who are in serious financial stress.

I think we should focus on a positive perspective- to BE the good we see in the world, to encourage more positivity, more kindness, all so that we can support each other. Times are tough, tougher for many people, and comparisons are never a good thing because everybody evaluates stress differently. A helping hand does the same thing for all of us: it makes the world just that little bit brighter, especially now when we really need it to be.