The novel coronavirus has touched virtually every part of the globe by now and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to keep an optimistic mindset. We’re fearing for the lives of our family, friends, and loved ones while simultaneously having to stick to the practices of social distancing. Millions of people have been quarantined in their houses with almost no physical contact with the outside world. Students, especially the class of 2020, are having huge milestones like graduation and proms taken from them while teachers are struggling to provide them with the best education possible under these unsettling new circumstances. Some people have been forced to stop working while others don’t have a choice but to continue in order to keep our world running.
There seems to be a dark cloud looming over everyone and everything and, in times like these, it feels almost impossible to see a silver lining. But, like in most situations, there still is one, you just have to look hard enough to see it.
Pollution Levels Have Drastically Decreased
With everybody self-isolating and thus keeping off the streets, Mother Nature is taking over in the best way possible. Cities such as Wuhan, China, and Los Angeles, California have been suffering from air pollution for years and are finally able to see blue skies again. COVID-19 is a wakeup call to all of us that our planet is still salvageable and we should take this opportunity to reflect on our past behavior and quickly find ways to sustain our second chance at living a more eco-friendly life.
Families Getting Quality Time Together
Almost everybody who is fortunate enough to have a home is currently quarantining there for the foreseeable future. This means those people with families are most likely getting the chance to see one another face to face for the majority of the day. Before the pandemic, people were bogged down with work and social lives but now that we’re all mandated to stay in close proximity to our families, there is an unprecedented amount of quality time being spent with each other. Of course, there are some complicated family dynamics where this could be a negative consequence of coronavirus, but for others, it is a gift that people didn’t know they needed.
Wild Animals Beginning to Return
Among all the new stories about people, there have been some uplifting pieces describing the takeover of wild fauna. With the hustle and bustle of humans all but dissipated, animals are taking the opportunity to go exploring through land and waters that were previously occupied by people. Wild goats have been seen trotting along through a small town in Wales, dolphins are popping up in ports throughout the Mediterranean, and even bees and butterflies have been thriving due to an abundance of flowers sprouting up on unmowed lawns. Wildlife is rightly taking advantage of the world becoming a little greener and a whole lot quieter.
A General Sense of Comradery
There’s absolutely no denying that our world is in painful chaos right now. But that’s the thing, we’re all going through it. Some are suffering much worse than others but we’re standing together as one human race and lending a helping hand to those who need it the most. People around the globe have been making DIY masks to donate to their local healthcare workers, leaving hand sanitizer bottles on their porches for delivery workers, supporting local businesses, and looking out for each other’s well-being overall. As horrifying as COVID-19 is, this epidemic has shined a light on the goodness that still exists within humanity.
And here’s a HUGE ‘thank you’ to all of the people still working in order to keep our society from completely crumbling! You are the glue holding us together.
All images courtesy of Her Campus Media Library.