Dear COVID-19 – Ryan Jones

For canceling festivals but not music.

Meetings but not communication.

Flights but not memories.

Dates but not love.

Church but not hope.

Human interaction but not kindness.

Sporting events but not a catch with Dad.

For pulling back the curtain and letting in the light.

For opening my eyes to what’s important. And who.

For showing me it’s not CEO’s and billionaires who will save us. It’s janitors, nurses, doctors, grocery, and food workers.

For showing me how to listen to the sounds of an empty house.

For keeping me 6-feet away so I can grow closer to those I love.

For keeping me home so I don’t have to work so hard to hide my demons.

For pressing pause and giving me time to heal my wounds.

If you think three weeks of isolation is driving you insane because you can’t spend Friday night blacked out at the bar, you’re missing the point.

This has done more for humanity in three weeks than any human has in three decades.

Kids are at home playing in the yard.

Parents are at home playing with them.

The air is cleaner, cities quieter.

Traffic is gone.

Gas is cheap.

Bills are extended.

Fast food has been replaced with home-cooked meals.

Stress reduced with naps.

Self-care has become health care.

We’re finally listening to authorities.

We aren’t spending on what we want. We are spending on what we need.

Time to re-learn what it means to be grateful.

To be kind.

To be human beings.

Seems to me this is a reset button for humanity.

And for that, I thank you COVID-19.

You have made all the difference.

Keep fighting, friends. We got this. ✌️

Ryan