Glass half full

In the span of a couple days, our world came crashing down around us. Everything was cancelled or closed from March Madness to schools statewide. In these weeks of uncertainty, it becomes so easy to radiate negativity; however, times like these call for more positivity than ever. Some good can come from this turmoil; we just have to open our eyes to see it. Look at the glass half full. 

Think of this time as a pause in our regular, busy lives. Our world is so fast-paced that we often toss self-care to the side. All of our meals are on-the-go (and normally not very healthy), we all drink nowhere near enough water and forget about sleeping the recommended eight hours a night. We just did not have the time before to focus on these aspects, but now we do. School, homework and sports no longer take up the majority of our days and we have the extra time to catch up on lost sleep and try to eat healthier and more balanced meals. Self-care was not cancelled by COVID-19. 

Like self-care, family-time is also often pushed aside. We often have more contact with our screens than loved ones. Well now, it doesn’t have to be like that. Spend quarantine bonding with siblings and parents. Actually have family dinners. Make the most of being stuck at home. 

COVID-19 has also given everyone the perfect opportunity for spring cleaning. We could all use some time to get our lives back in order. Reorganize closets and clean rooms. Some cleanliness never hurts. 

Hard times also have a way of bringing people together. We are more fortunate than ever with the technology available to us. With the push of a button, we can contact practically anyone. So, utilize these blessings. We can still hold full conversations with our best friends. We can still talk to grandparents and other extended family members. We can still connect with our teachers without being in school. Coronavirus may have taken away a lot, but it did not cancel love. 

We can still come together as a community even while practicing social distancing. People everywhere are donating to this cause. NBA players across the country have donated money to cover the wages of those now out of jobs. Music artists and celebrities have been donating thousands of dollars to those affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Even uplifting social media posts exemplify this sense of community. We are all helping each other through these hard times and that is definitely a reason to smile.  

We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. Now more than ever we have to look at the glass half full. So much good can come out of this epidemic—we just have to give it a chance. This was a sign that we all needed a break. Embrace it. We will get through this and we will heal. So for now, just remember to always choose happiness.