With all the news being thrown in our faces about the latest update on COVID-19, it can be difficult to find all the good going on in our community, our state, and the world at large. This pandemic, though detrimental to many lives and society, has also brought to light all the good that humankind can do for each other in times of trouble. 

Talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel and more have not let the coronavirus stop their production. They have been posting videos from home in quarantine talking about what they have been doing to stay busy, cracking jokes on the craziness that is today’s environment, and hosting famous guests via video meetings. In fact, many people, both celebrities and commoners, have created YouTube channels to talk about their life. One of the most prominent examples of this would be John Krasinski, who created the channel “Some Good News,” to spread all the extraordinary things going on in the world. If you are in need of a laugh or want to hear more good news after reading this, I recommend his channel. The San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF) actually followed Krasinski’s lead, as did hundreds of others, and created their own good news channel to highlight good stories going on in our local community.

Besides videos, people all around the world are creating all sorts of things to help those in need . 21 year-old college student Ashley Lawrence has created face masks with a clear plastic window over the mouth so that people who are deaf can understand those who wear masks. Many restaurants are giving away free food to doctors who are working around the clock. Some hotels are allowing the homeless to stay in their rooms for free to keep them safe. Even in our own community, people are helping other people. Sequoia still offers lunch to those who rely on school provided meals. Neighbors are sewing masks and giving them out for free. Children are making chalk drawings on the sidewalk to cheer people up. The smallest of things can make a difference right now, and people are finding all sorts of small things to help in any way they can. 

If you are feeling distressed, overwhelmed, scared, or even simply bored due to this unexpected quarantine, make sure to remember that you are not alone. Call a friend to talk about what is going on. Take walks in this beautiful weather. Listen to new and old songs. Learn a new hobbie. There are endless, if not great, possibilities for what you can be doing in this troubled time, and do not feel pressured to do what anyone else is doing. 

Although it is important to stay up to date with the news, it is equally, if not more important to make sure you are not drowning yourself in a whirlpool of death tolls, economics, and stock market crashes. Make sure to take breaks in your day to catch up on some good news and brighten your day in these crazy times we are living in.