It’s one of those overused, trite phrases we hear on repeat. It’s hard to write about being kind without addressing what is going on in our world right now. We are all inundated with COVID articles, but this one is important.

What does “being kind” really mean to you?

During the start of this year “Be Kind” was at the forefront of our minds. Families, businesses and employees alike were hurting. COVID took us all by surprise, but we were consistently encouraged by the acts of kindness we saw across the country. Medical staff received standing ovations at the end of their backbreaking shifts. After in-person visitation at her husband’s nursing facility was prohibited, a woman took a dishwashing job there so that they could be together. A taxi driver gave rides to the hospital for hundreds of COVID patients for free. Companies like Deep Eddy’s stepped up to produce hand sanitizer for first responders, and keep their workers employed.

Along with the acts of kindness we witnessed, we have also witnessed reactions that were less than kind. Headlines have read, “Karens Across the Country Stockpile Toilet paper – None Left for the Needy”. Fights have broken out between grocery store shoppers. Harsh words have been spoken on a daily basis about everything from school choices to travel plans.

In some ways we have become more isolated as a country, but in other ways, we have grown closer than ever. Though there has been a physical separation, we have seen companies promote online yoga and use video meetings as a space for their employees to work through heightened emotions. Though children have been home from school, we have seen parents reconnect with their kids in new ways. Though jobs have been lost, many companies went above and beyond to offer candidate coaching and job search resources.

With businesses closing, finances dwindling, and kids being schooled at home, it can be exhausting to think about placing kindness at the top of your to do list. It is challenging to choose to see the good. We are all just trying to stay afloat. Everyone has been focused on navigating the “new normal”: attending church online, having Facetime dinner dates, ordering groceries online, and hosting video meetings in our pajamas. It’s safe to say we’ve done things we thought we would never do.

The adjustment to life during the pandemic has had its ups and downs, just like any hurdle in life. If you reframe the “new normal” it’s clear to see the need to practice kindness. Because one fact has remained the same: how you treat people in a time of need, plants the seeds for a better future.

The year of 2020 has been isolating for everyone, but it has allowed us to take a step back and appreciate the human contact we once took for granted. This pause in normalcy has given us time to reassess what is really important to us. It has given us the opportunity to extend a helping hand. Kindness has come out of this pandemic. I believe that you just have to choose to see it.