I want to say something as kindly as possible. I know it isn’t going to come off that way. Some day I will be less tired, less frustrated, and have fewer things to do, but today is not that day. So I’m apologizing in advance.

I think it’s time we give everyone a break, I think instead of criticizing the response to the virus, I think it’s time to start thinking about what WE can do to help in our communities.

We’ve all settled into social distancing and let’s be honest it sucks.

But you know what, we can do something about it. Not about the social distancing part, but the sucky part.

Because of the nature of my job, I spend… A good portion of the day on the phone with people who are really nervous about coronavirus.

On Monday I set a goal that every phone call from the public this week would end with the caller feeling heard and like there was still some good out in the scary Coronaverse.

I always try and be polite on the phone, but this was a little bit different. And y’all it has been CRAZY!

I spent my week contact tracing, taking testing requests, and answering calls from the public. None of these people were thrilled when we started the call, but most ended up a little bit more chipper by the end. I can’t tell you how much Diet Dr. Pepper was needed to keep my voice calm and cheerful all day, but it was worth it. One caller told me I should be the governor (which made us all laugh), another said it was so great to speak with someone willing to listen, and one who started the call near tears ended up laughing by the end.

I didn’t do anything special. I screwed on my best smile and faked it all day. I came home yesterday and crashed, turns out being chipper is exhausting.

But if there’s one thing watching SGN has taught me, it’s that we ALL have a role in making the Coronaverse a better place. This is our moment to show that people are fundamentally good! Maybe your service won’t be what we traditionally think of as service- you might not clean up after a hurricane, rake a neighbor’s yard, or bring a meal, but we can all do something!

Maybe you will write uplifting messages in sidewalk chalk on your driveway for families out on walks, maybe you will grab takeout from a  local restaurant and tip $20 because you know the business is struggling, or maybe you will sew masks for your local first responders.

Maybe your service will look like a text message to an old friend, and uplifting social media post, sincerely saying thank you to someone who is risking their health to serve you, or maybe it will just look like staying home. However your service looks, your efforts are meaningful!

Start thinking about what you are good at, your ability to serve might surprise you! I’m not a particularly warm and fuzzy person (ok that was the understatement of the year), but I have a really good “nice” phone voice- turns out my faker voice, as my sister calls it, has value.

I also have to say that it’s ok that things aren’t perfect right now. I made sure all the callers were happy this week, but my kids will tell you that the happy voice didn’t come home. They got the exhausted and glazed over mom who just wanted them to hush and eat their dinner. And I think that might be ok. It might be ok to accept that the Coronaverse isn’t bringing out our best in EVERYTHING. Yes, I want to be awesome at home and at work. I want to fill my kids’ day with enriching academic activities, and I want to make sure that I don’t overlook a single email or text message from work, I want to be an awesome friend, informed citizen, and great neighbor, I want to take every family phone call happily, and I want my house to be sparkling clean. This isn’t the moment to be all the things friends. This might be the moment to pick one thing to excel at and take moment to hide in the pantry and breathe while you eat leftover easter candy while attempting to fumble through the rest.

I know the Coronaverse is a hard place to be, but it’s also a great time for us to slow things down a little bit (well unless you live at my house and then it’s time to lace up those running shoes because things haven’t slowed down) and look for ways to share our super secret service skills.

I spent the first few weeks of the Coronaverse frustrated and wishing for “our old life”. While I admit I’d jump back into that over scheduled mess in a heartbeat, I’ve accepted that wishing isn’t going to make it so.  Right now we have the Coronaverse, how long we live in this upside world is a mystery to everyone (trust me no one has that answer yet), instead of wishing for the past, find your place in the new normal. You can’t imagine how good it will feel to be useful again!

Oh and for the record… Diet Dr. Pepper and Reeses really do make things a smidge better… just sayin’