Silver Lining

One of the first things I do almost every single morning is to go out to the family room and look outside at the beautiful ocean view. I usually take a few minutes to sit down and enjoy the view and reflect upon all that I have to be thankful for, but this morning was different… for several reasons.

Looking out upon the sand and the surf, I did not see something beautiful. What I saw was an ocean engulfed with ugly red tide plankton. The waves were not breaking with their usual transparent turquoise color cresting with brilliant white caps. Instead the waves were brown and muddy and dirty. Even the sand was hideous, covered with rocks and debris, painted a nasty dark color by the atrocious red tide residue.  

Funny thing is the ugliness of the red tide transforms itself into something spectacularly beautiful at night. The plankton in the water causes a chemical reaction when there is movement that results in brilliant blue bio-luminescence, which is basically the emission of light by a living organism. The last few nights I’ve been able to watch the waves exploding in bright silver blue light as they race up and down the beach. I have never seen anything like it before and being 65, I may never see it again. Ugly as sin during the day, beautiful as can be at night. Kind of ironic because it’s the opposite of normal. Normally the ocean is gorgeous during the day and invisible at night.

And that got me thinking… Could there be a silver lining to this Coronavirus that is creating so much pain and suffering for so many people? Can any good come out of such an ugly worldwide pandemic? Honestly, I just don’t know. But what I do know, is that I am compelled to look for the good. I was born a positive person, blessed by God in many ways, so I feel an obligation to my family and friends to foster hope and provide inspiration in times of trouble. So here are some “positives” that I’ve noticed so far.

Parents -      Moms and Dads working from home means more time with Mom and Dad.
                      And everyone is getting more creative than ever with cooking.
Children -    Kids are learning online and getting to stay in their pajamas all day.
Friends -      Hugs are pretty darn special and won’t be taken for granted in the future.
Strangers -  When I go outside, I wear a mask. And when I pass by someone else with a mask on, I smile and wave. And I can't see it, but I feel like they are smiling back at me, because more than ever... we need each other... and now we are finally realizing it.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community 

and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. 

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.

~ George Bernard Shaw