A grandmother’s thoughts on a contagion of kindness

In the beginning, I wanted to poo-poo the novel coronavirus, aka COVID-19, but I couldn’t.

I saw people doing foot bumps, elbow bumps and even butt-bumps on BBC News and watched a vlog from an English family in Italy who live in a “red zone,” who have been quarantined for two weeks. The kids get their schoolwork by computer, and Mom waits in long lines to go shopping in a store that controls the flow of shoppers. Suddenly, we’re doing the same thing in southern New Mexico.

Wait, are we supposed to cough in our elbows and then bump them?

How will I talk about this disaster to my grandchildren? Can it be that the lesson here is one of love?

Dear grandchild,

The world has become very weird, and whatever happens next, this will be one for the history books. You know how everybody knows where they were when the twin towers were hit in New York? Well, this was the same, only longer.

We learned phrases like “social distancing,” “flattening the curve,” “self-quarantine” and “community spread” — and started using them regularly. The word “panic” was used frequently, but not actually happening. Sure, there was plenty of worry and concern, and every planned gathering of 10 or more people was canceled, but people mostly did what they needed to do and adapted to the situation.

For some reason, all the toilet paper disappeared off the shelves, then other things soon followed – milk, pasta, eggs, anything related to disinfecting things, even dog food.

But then something else happened – kindness.

Musicians and artists took to the Interwebs, providing “quarantine concerts,” art classes and conversation remotely and free or for tips. Social media took hold and connected the world through numerous platforms. There were groups where you could find drive-up and delivery restaurant services, home- cleaning services and exercise classes – most for free.

In Canada, helping others became an organized movement called “caremongering,” and the world was off and running with people taking care of people. Many charity groups, like Beauty Banks in the United Kingdom, began providing essential toiletries to people in poverty, and they launched an emergency virus-related appeal.

"Anxiety, isolation and lack of hope affect you. In providing this virtual community, which allows people to help one other, I think it is really showing people there is still hope for humanity,” said one caremongering organizer, Valentina Harper. “We haven't lost our hope."

Other social media groups sprang up with ways to keep children educated and entertained while stuck at home. Still others offered cooking lessons and provided support for caregivers and medical workers. And people started taking care of each other in other ways, too, like leaving big tips to help the food-service workers stay afloat and creating funds to help those who couldn’t pay their rent. Utilities stopped turning off their services for non-payment, and schools and businesses began making meals for isolated individuals.

When we truly realized we were all in this together, we made it work in the kindest ways we could.

Love, Gramma Elva

Elva K. Österreich may be reached at elva@lascrucesbulletin.com.