The Day The World Changed
The other day I posted a video on my Instagram with a scene from another day in quarantine. In the background is the song Bye, Bye Miss American Pie aka The Day The Music Died, by Don McLean. The song is about the deaths of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Richie Valens, and the state of society at the time of their plane crash. In my head, I heard the song in a way that related it to that scene playing in my living room with the state of affairs going on today.
For me, March 1, will be the day the world we knew, and lived in, changed forever. It was when we learned of the first victim for COVID-19 in New York. Oh, how I pray for the time this will all end. But while that is not going to happen any time soon, I have new hope for the world moving forward. I have to believe it will be better! Today, I don’t want to write about the reality we are living in, I want to talk about hope and change.
A Rise in Humility and Decrease in Gluttony
There are so many concepts I hope will no longer be important to us. I am imagining a world where an overabundance of ‘things’ is no longer a necessity. We have had to make do with whatever food is in our house, not wanting or being able to run to the store for whatever whim we have. How can an easy thing like toilet paper be hard to get? Perhaps this is a lesson that we shouldn’t even take the simplest things for granted.
Getting our hair colored, manicures, and pedicures have gone out the window. Why bother putting on makeup or blowdrying our hair? Now we have to accept our natural beauty and learn to love each other and ourselves for the way we are. Real beauty comes from the inside out, and we are forced to look deep right now – not in the mirror.
Eating dinner with our families has become an everyday thing. We have to talk, communicate, and play games. We have had to learn to appreciate what is in our own home and each other.
“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own back yard. ‘
Noel Langley quote from the Wizard of Oz
Kindness has been taken to a whole other level.
People are looking out for each other and loving thy neighbor. The more fortunate, and by that I mean the ones with their health and a paycheck, have been looking for ways to give back to fill their time. I am not seeing a lot of ‘oh woe is me‘ out there. Folks are getting together to help each other in a time of need. Humanity is on the rise!
Our elderly population is finally being put on a pedestal with the worry and focus on them. They have become a priority, where they have not been. The choices and care they get now are substandard unless they are wealthy and this needs to change. I hope there will be a new focus on the treatment and facilities for what they have to endure as they age. Healthcare and our system is the spotlight, and we can all see the changes that are a priority moving forward.
I believe people are praying more now than ever.
We have to lean on God and our faith for this war we are fighting. You can’t help but pray for this damn virus to please go away or ask God for help right now. Even if you are asking him what’s going on, or why is this happening, you are looking to your higher power for the answers. If you really look hard, maybe he is answering you.
Our basic freedoms have been taken away, and we have had to go back to a simpler life. We can’t go to church or a movie or a restaurant or just grab a cup of coffee. If you want something, you have to rely on yourself to get it. Instant gratification has taken a pause. Hopefully, we will learn to appreciate those little things and the people who worked to give you that coffee just a little bit more.
For some people, especially those on the front lines, the story is different. But to all of you, we finally have real true heroes! Our perspective has changed. It isn’t a professional athlete or sports star, because there aren’t any right now. Our focus has changed to what and who is truly important, and the people who really keep this world going and surviving. The beautiful people who risk their lives to keep us safe every day.
The world has forever changed, my friends.
As the day went on, I will tell you that no songs sounded the same to me. I heard the words differently. Let’s change the words to that song. It is up to us to fill the levee with love and faith so it will never be dry again.
Let us fight for the new world moving forward. May we learn from our arrogance and the simple things we took for granted; live a life where we need less but realize we have so much more. May this period in our lives be a constant reminder that if you have your health, love, food on the table, and a roof over your head – you are indeed wealthy.
These are thoughts I hope for myself and if I forget, please remind me. Here are a few thoughts of my Bella’s that she posted on social media … living and learning as a 20-year-old. We all need each other, and on that note, let me leave you with another song …
Much Love and many prayers of strength, safety and good health to all of you!
Sandy
#enlighten #empower #inspire #educate #bekind #faith
