Like so many who are struggling with the disruption to daily life, social distancing, supply shortages, job loss, financial stresses, cancellation of large gatherings and milestone events, and fear of tomorrow’s unknown, one thing is certain – we are all in this together. Even the SMALLEST gesture of KINDNESS and shared COMPASSION and SHARING does not go unnoticed. Over the last few weeks, I’ve literally had more tears in my eyes, and laughter in my soul over social content than I have in many years combined. It is the motivation to be KIND and SUPPORTIVE that has deeply hit my core.
As I see all who are affected by this pandemic on a daily basis, I am reminded of the power of COMPASSION and COLLABORATION. I’ve seen people practice some really swift requests for 6-feet of space, catchy hand-washing songs, effective and thoughtful corporate communication, valuable resources, proactive teacher lesson planning, employer and state official guidance, quirky and hilarious celebrity entertainment, creative exercises, ingenious homeschooling (including digital field trips and front-door signage), work-from-home scenarios (background noises included), and journalists offering a raw view of what’s happening (even from their living rooms). We, as a WHOLE, are better for this because we COMMUNICATE, show CARE, and are fueled by COMPASSION.
It is with this deeply-seeded sense of COMPASSION that I want to highlight a group that spans across the country – they may not know each other, but they share, in totality, a sense of great achievement and also and shared and unprecedented sense of great loss – the senior class of 2020.