Caring Is A Superpower

An open letter from Gabriella van Rij, Davenport, Iowa

“Social distancing” sounds lonely to me. It has a finality to it as if we are not allowed to be friendly with each other, whereas it is only a physical distancing that is required, right?

 When we, each of us in our respective seven continents around the world, are sitting with a device in hand or behind one that can connect us to each other, we can still be social. We just have to be creative and learn how to use the technology that is out there to our advantage.

This is a first…

• You experience an event that affects all…
• You can say, I know how you feel…
• You can say, I feel the same…
• You are perplexed, worried, fearful…
• You are in unknown territory…

However, we are together in this unknown, where our innate strength and Kindness can pull us up and help each other to do better and be better during these difficult times. We have seen, over the decades, people pull together during natural disasters, even if they did not affect us directly. This is why I am so bold and confident in saying we are now given an extreme opportunity to “learn to care.” In my fourth book, Kindness Is a Choice, I ask for humanity to care.

“Care” is a tiny word but so effective when felt by the receiver. It lifts us up when we are hopeless.

Here is an idea today to show you care:

Pick up the phone and call an elderly person within your family to tell them:

•  That you are thinking of them
•  That you want to make sure they are ok
• That you want them to know they are not alone

It is so simple to start a phone chain or a Facetime/Zoom or any other type of chain, where we can help someone who feels isolated feel part of society again. Like I always say, “Let’s make the invisible people feel visible.” At the moment, there are millions of people invisible to us who are in isolation. Maybe not sick, but definitely afraid they might get symptoms. That one phone call, that one connection that we offer is not only social but also full of hope for their well-being.

It is wonderful when one moment can have such an impact on our fellow man.

Be safe, stay safe, and most importantly Dare to Reach Out, #daretohelp.

We are learning through this pandemic to become human beings rather than human doers...

With Kindness,

Gabriella