Even if you don't think so, you have it good.

My friend and I talked the other day about how being in diaspora has mentally prepared us for this epidemic — being far away from our family and friends with only social media and technology to foster those relationships is already normal. Having grown up in developing countries (although developed in their own ways), we have seen the effects of being ill-prepared and how one's mental outlook can make or break a situation. 

We've lived in a world where our neighbors were unemployed and struggling because of the circumstances beyond their control — but witnessed how they managed to survive with their community helping without question or hesitation. We saw a lot of unfairness and injustices but we also saw Ubuntu (a sense of the oneness of humanity) come alive and flourish at times when all seemed lost.

“Ubuntu can be translated as “human kindness,” but it really embodies the idea that we are all bound together in invisible bonds of connection, community, and caring. And we would add: conversation.”

Then fast-forward to today where we as immigrants came to the land of the free and the brave. Where the majority of those we have the privilege of knowing are so incredibly lucky. 

You probably have a bed to sleep in, electricity, a roof over your head, stocked fridges, and your families nearby. You have time now to literally smell the coffee and wait for the response when you ask the usual 'how are you's?' You can actually live and not just exist on autopilot. You can just be. You can finally work on that honey-do list your wife gave you a year ago, and you can call your estranged friends and family to check in.

You can get back to basics and find a new normal that includes game nights…

Or gardening... 

Or couch karaoke... 

How about making pizza from scratch...

Or learn how to play the guitar gathering dust in the attic.

You have the time to figure it out — and be creative.

Count your blessings today.

And maybe again tomorrow. Then the next day after that. 

If you aren't sick, then your depleting stash of TP and wine isn't a cause for alarm. 

If you don't have a first responder, medical or essential employee risking their lives out there, then your messy house and rowdy kids are a gift. 

If you can just stop for a minute and reflect on how good you have it, you're going to get through this.

I'm using my extra time to organize my house drawer by drawer. Room by room. I take bubble baths because being clean isn't the only goal. It's also about self-care and self-love in a toxic world. 

We eat home-cooked meals (shout out to my husband Ben for his newfound love of cooking) and are mindful of our menu; My daughter Mya is getting 1:1 help with homework, and our dining room has become a craft room for creative projects.

The challenge is occupying your mind and soul with things and people that bring you peace and leave you feeling accomplished and fulfilled. Not dwelling on what you don't have. Not having FOMO but focusing your attention on what you do have in this moment. 

You're not alone. We're in it together. 

Even if you don't think so, you have it so good. 

You are free. You are brave.