Day 49

There are gifts in every problem if we are able to see aand embrace them. It's so easy to become overwhelmed with the sadness, grief and fear that we become unaware of the lessons that are here for us. I have been thinking a lot about the gifts that accompany this extraordinary event we are experiencing.

• The realization that we are all one. The things that separate us are purely artificial - money, education, religion, politics to name a few. We use these ideas in our daily lives to feel better than, or less than, others. A virus does not recognize those differences. We are all equally vulnerable. Some of us may try and maintain our separateness by convincing ourselves that we are not old enough or compromised enough, or we don't live in a big city. That is what we need to do to get through the day, but it is a lie. We are all in danger of becoming seriously ill or losing someone we love. So for me, one of the gifts is that deep down knowledge that we are all connected and dependent on each other.

• Stillness. I am always in a hurry. I rush through meals. I rarely sit down throughout the day. I multitask like crazy. Crazy! This opportunity to practice the art of sitting still is something that I have needed for most of my life.

• Focus on relationships. The most important thing for all of us is our relationships. At the end of our lives we are not going to wish that we had gotten more done. We will wish for more time with our loved ones. I can't the count number of times I have thought about calling a friend, but I don't because I am in such a hurry to finish a long to-do list. This opportunity to enrich our connections to others can change our lives. The challenge of being in close quarters with our families is real, but we can choose to make the very best of it. Some relationships may be fractured by this. Hopefully more will be deeper and more loving.

• Letting go. We all have things that are probably better left behind, but we hang on out of habit or fear or whatever. This time can be a literal cleaning out of our spiritual closet. We can leave behind those habits that do not serve us. Habits that we developed as children or young adults which are not in our best interest as grow.

The list goes on and on. Look for your gifts, your lessons, and be open to them.