As I sit in our home in self-isolation, I ponder our country’s economic health over the next several months and beyond. Watching people mobilize to fight an invisible coronavirus is certainly inspirational. We all know that managing individual behavior will go a long way towards slowing down and eventually stopping the spread of this frightening pandemic.

Yet, why is it that canceling large events, not meeting in large groups, working from home and keeping six feet of separation between people enough? I fear that by shuttering businesses including restaurants, bars, malls, gyms. movie theaters, travel companies and more that we are headed to unprecedented economic difficulty.

At this moment, a couple of thousand people have died in the US, which is sad and painful especially for their families and loved ones. However, if we stay on this course of stopping business commerce, then hundreds of thousands of people will die from the dire economic consequences that may lie ahead.

When the unemployment rate rises one percent, nearly 40,000 deaths may follow according to Bluestone et all in The Causes and Consequences of Economic Dislocation, which is often summarized in economic textbooks and quoted in the popular movie, The Big Short. A further breakdown of the numbers include: 20,000 heart attacks, 920 suicides, and 650 homicides.

A three percent rise in unemployment could lead to well over 100,000 deaths, which significantly eclipses the several hundred coronavirus deaths that are directly connected to the pandemic. I believe this scenario shows we need to maintain social distancing practices, yet keep our retail businesses open. If certain individuals, such as seniors and those with pre-existing health conditions wish to self-isolate, then they can take the necessary steps.

The remaining 80% to 90% of the population need to learn accept and live with the risk of this pandemic to maintain our quality of life. We can alter our individual behavior, practice good hygiene, show compassion for those who become ill, mobilize financial and human resources to fight the pandemic and do so without grinding our business, personal, and consumer lives to a halt.

Compassion should also be extended to the small business owner, who has the working capital to operate for only a short period of time without modest sales. Their entire allocation of finances may be invested in the business including the ability to support their employees and family. In addition, they could be at an age where there is insufficient time to recover from a business or personal bankruptcy. Shouldn’t we accept a reasonable amount of risk to give this entrepreneur the opportunity to keep their business afloat?

Another over-looked aspect of this pandemic is the geographic unequal distribution of the virus. Four states, including New York, New Jersey, Washington, and California consist of 64% of the cases. Breaking it down further, most of the people with the illness in these states live in New York City, Seattle, and the CA Bay Area.

Although the virus has reached all 50 states, why should West Virginia with eight cases and South Dakota with 50 cases and one death suffer negative economic consequences when their case numbers are extremely small. West Virginia is already in a tough spot due to the loss of manufacturing and the coal industry in their state.

In today’s world, there is risk all around us with crime, car accidents, natural disasters and more. We do not stop living due to tragic circumstances that inevitably find their way into our lives. Instead, we confront the tragedy head on and know in our guts that we must always find a way to persevere. The ultimate risk is not taking one and right now we are on extremely risky ground.

Introduction

With all the pressures facing people because of the pandemic, most folks may be wondering if any good things have come out of this at all. In actuality, the answer is yes. As a society, we are learning a lot of important lessons from the different changes due to the pandemic. Exactly what are they and how will they prove helpful in the days to come? That is what this blog talks about.

Working Remotely Versus On-Location

What does this mean? With the pressure on businesses to be closed, those who own or manage office-run businesses are learning how to farm out the same tasks to employees that are now working from home. Instead of grinding to a halt, everyone has adjusted to doing the same job remotely. Bosses are finding out they can maintain their businesses just fine like this.

Learning Not to Need Office Space

Although this might not be so good for commercial property owners, businesses are finding out they can operate just as well with everyone working from home. As a result, more of them are trading their office space for virtual space. This can save astronomically large amounts of money that used to go towards rent. Employees save on gas, commuting costs and hassles, and wardrobe maintenance. Everybody is winning with the newer virtual office concept.

What About Restaurants, Bars, Salons, Vehicle Repair Shops, etc.?

Naturally, they do not have the luxury of being able to operate on a virtual basis. So, what good has come from the pandemic for them? They are forced to learn to adjust to a world where they must seat fewer people, and everyone wears masks. These businesses are learning to get by with fewer staff members, outdoor accommodations, and more take-out and delivery services.

For the salon owners and workers, they might well implement the concept of traveling to their clients. The hairstylist or nail care professional can go to the homes of their clients. In this way, they are dealing one on one with a client versus a crowded brick-and-mortar salon. They can wear face masks and protective equipment during their stay. Vehicle repair shops can do this too plus remain outdoors, keeping themselves at a safe distance from clients.

Education from Home

What does this mean? Well, with schools and colleges being closed in many places, parents and students have been forced to continue with their studies remotely. Much like the office workers, they are finding this an adequate alternative. If the pandemic keeps going and everyone remains stuck with learning from home, they could soon discover there is little need to spend money on commuting to school, wardrobe, and lodging. What is in store for the future of brick-and-mortar schools and colleges? That remains to be seen!

We’ve Learned to Find Entertainment at Home

Although perhaps not by choice, we have learned how to find entertainment for ourselves at home. It can be playing games or doing activities as a family or spending more time on the computer. It can be as a result of implementing a movie night in our household or watching concerts on your big screen television. There are so many ways to create fun without going out on the town. Think of how much money you are saving. How great is that?

Just when AARP magazine, and so many other well respected and widely read publications, are carrying articles about pandemic flu planning for personal homes, more bad news. This news is not for the publications, nor is it for their readers, but for the authors who have tied their name to poorly researched advice. November 14, 2006 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Roche Laboratories, Inc., the manufacture of Tamiflu, announced that new labeling would be provided for this highly publicized pandemic flu drug. It turns out that Tamiflu is just one more drug to be added to the long list of medication recently implicated in “self-injury” (suicide) and other psychiatric side effects.

While the data is not completely clear as to how much of the hallucination and confusion associated with Tamiflu administration in the Far East is related to influenza and how much is directly related to the drug, several things are clear.

1. Those who received Tamiflu are far more likely to display “abnormal behavior” and “self-injury” than those who have not received the drug.

2. The likelihood of having these side effects increases as the dose increases and as the length of time the drug is taken increases.

Tamiflu is one of two drugs available for the treatment of pandemic influenza. Unfortunately, the pandemic strain currently being studied in Asia (H5:N1) is already showing resistance to normal doses of Tamiflu. In fact, in recent cases the dose of Tamiflu has had to be doubled and the length of treatment also doubled. Further complicating this fact is the need in these cases to add the second pandemic flu drug, also at double dose and double length of treatment.

What does this mean for psychiatric side effects? It means that these side effects will increase if not arithmatically then lawrymathically. In other words, the side effects may not just double, but quadruple or more.

Common sense and good science are stakes in the heart for those alarmists encouraging the general public to stockpile Tamiflu or any other medication. Stockpiling “just in case” medications is always a bad idea. Most simple infections are now resistant to basic antibiotics because patients have stockpiled “left over” antibiotics from prior infections and started them on their own. For too many decades, physicians have sent patients home with “just in case” antibiotics for the “next time” they get sick. This technique is lazy and it is the medical profession that is responsible for the problems we now see as a result of this lazy approach to healthcare.

What is surprising is that the American public stands for it. If you took your car to your favorite mechanic for an oil change and he sent you home with an extra case of oil “just in case” you would change mechanics. If you went to your favorite hairdresser for a color and style, and she sent you home with an extra pair of scissors “just in case” you would quickly change stylists or at least think her crazy. This style of medical practice was born of the same medical hubris that allowed doctors to think themselves “gods” and should have died with that mindset. The most recent announcements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the risks of psychiatric side effects in Tamiflu only point out the dangers of good medication taken the wrong way or for the wrong indication. Prescribing any medication is a balance of risks and benefits, and when balancing risk and benefits we can all use good advice, both physicians and patients, alike.

Let’s look beyond the mask.

Homeschool parents and students must be looking at the problems traditional schools are facing with no small degree of wonderment. As homeschool families require minimal change in their routine, classroom teachers are scrambling to find the balance between in-person and online learning.

Of course some change is inevitable, even for homeschoolers. Soccer matches are on hold, parks and hiking trails closed, even the workout gym isn’t available.

While those closings are disappointing and disturbing, homeschoolers know how to create, to innovate and how to survive mentally and emotionally.

Even if the weekly group meeting is electronic, homeschoolers confidently connect online with other students and parents who understand the dynamic nature of learning and life.

Homeschoolers get it!

They know life changes daily, yet they continue to grow as individuals and community. Every day is an adjustment to change, some changes subtle, others profound. Families who homeschool are not totally controlled by autocratic decision makers or government decrees.

The homeschool system of learning is founded on solid learning principles, one of which is that you confidently adjust as needed to a changing environment. There is no waiting for extended committee meetings or infinitely delayed administrative dictum. Your mind matters most and enables you to make the proper decisions in this rapidly changing cultural environment.

In fact, the present pandemic can become an effective teaching tool, integrating something real in our lives with traditional “school stuff.” This integration, while not in the books, can create lifelong learning while increasing our analytic ability, knowledge base and creativity skills.

It’s not in the books, but who cares!

Actually, it’s in life… and we should all care!

Take a close look at the following list of how the Covid-19 Pandemic is related to traditional school courses.

1. History: What are some historical worldwide pandemics?

2. Math: Plotting various graphs of infections, hospitalizations, deaths, etc.

3. English: Write short stories or poems about masked people and not seeing smiles.

4. Science: How does a virus differ from bacteria?

5. Politics: Does the pandemic being continued favor one political party over another?

6. Literature: Is this a sequel to 1984 or Brave New World?

7. Debate: Government Control versus Individual Independence.

8. Physical Education: Build a workout place using household items.

9. Economics: Why are some business essential, others not?

10. Art: Depict peaceful protests and violent riots in watercolor.

11. Music: Compose mood music or words showing internal emotions of the elderly currently living in nursing homes.

12. Psychology: Dig deep. What’s going on in your mind?

13. Technology: What would this be like if we didn’t have our smart devices?

Those suggestions listed above are only kick-starters for our minds. Each of those sections can have multiple related assignments. Start with a blank paper and do a mind-map of where you can go with each of these.

Always look at the bigger picture.

Face the truth. We are in a pandemic and it is not fun. It isn’t fun, but we can learn from it. We must not become victims of media manipulations. It is critical we keep our minds alert and active. By looking seriously at the relationship between the pandemic and real learning we may find relationships of a greater nature than first appears.

Our nation was founded on solid principles based on genuine truths. Our independent minds must continue to be focused on those truths. We need to continue that tradition. We cannot allow anarchy and riots to change the nature of our country.

Fight the fight.

Keep the faith.

A worker shortage might be excellent news for the economy! Maybe, just maybe, firms will awake and see workers’ substantial contribution to their success. Some CEOs take unconscionable sums and destroy their firm’s value, unlike many frontline workers who create value. During the pandemic, CEOs took vast sums as they laid-off workers. Some firms sought bankruptcy protection, but hat didn’t stop their greedy CEOs from snatching hefty bonuses.

We have a worker shortage and firms are scrambling to hire whomever is willing. Some firms, like McDonalds have paid signing bonuses. Canada’s Loblaw and its competitors paid a bonus to frontline workers when the pandemic began. They stopped it after three months in unison with their competitors. When government confronted them about this collusion, they claimed it happened independently. Go figure! It’s like you caught your three-year-old with her hand in the cookie jar and she said, Mom, “Cookie Monster did it!”

Worker Shortage Inevitable With Shoddy Treatment

Loblaw’s behavior disturbs me. During the bonus period, profits soared. Per se, that’s no problem. I favor firms making profits. To be sure, I am against government taxing profits. But paying workers the bonus during the pandemic shouldn’t hinge on profits. It was just right. Meanwhile, my wife and I shopped at a Loblaw store and workers continued their excellent service despite Loblaw’s slight.

Leaders must realize frontline workers are the firm’s foundation and treat them well, not as cogs turning out CEOs bonuses! When employers treat workers like machines, they disengage. Gallup said, over several decades, they and other researchers found a strong link between employees’ workplace engagement and the company’s overall performance. Yet employers refuse to accept this. But there is good news: surveys show some firms break the mold and treat workers with respect: Cisco, Apple, Accenture, IBM, FedEx are a few.

Next Quarter’s Earnings Drives Businesses

Companies see next quarter as the prize, so they exploit workers and fudge next quarter’s numbers. I repeat: I am against government taxing business. However, I favor the Biden Build Back Better provision to tax share buybacks that the House passed, and it is before the Senate, even if it might have only a modest effect on share buybacks. Companies shouldn’t be spending billions buying back shares while exploiting workers.

Firms should present to shareholder meetings options to use buyback funds. Choices might include effects of paying bonuses to frontline workers with buyback funds. Shareholders should hear about potential strategic investments, too. Another option is stopping buy-backs for five years after layoffs. Executives, too, shouldn’t get bonuses within five years of layoffs. We must get rid of worker exploitation that enhances CEO bonuses.

The Business Roundtable Stakeholder Capitalism Disappeared

The Business Round Table (BRT) had a revelation in 2019 and decided maximizing shareholder value is not a corporation’s sole purpose. That metrics from the 1980s is wrong, it said. I wrote then that the BRT “… came up with lovely platitudes about looking after stakeholders and quickly ditched it and returned to their greedy practices… ” They continued to move away from those bromides during the pandemic.

Let the worker shortage continue! It might be the force to rid firms of myopic, greedy incompetent CEOs. To be sure, the scarcity will cause disruptions in supply chains and elsewhere, but workers’ creativity, if allowed, will solve these challenges. Here is the million dollar question: Will enough firms decide to scrap the quarterly rat race and concentrate on building robust businesses for the long-term?

As landlords and property managers we are affected by people unable to pay their rent due to the corona virus pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs, are laid off, or furloughed as a result of the pandemic. When people can’t make an income, sooner or later it’s going to effect their ability to pay rent. Congress did a great thing by enacting a stimulus package which helped many businesses and tenants. People who were laid off received an extra $600.00 per week in addition to their regular unemployment benefits. This stimulus money went a long way towards helping tenants make their rent payments. Now as the stimulus money runs out, congress is struggling to enact new rounds of stimulus money. No one knows how long this pandemic will last; so will we need many more rounds of stimulus incentives? Will we have multiple legislative bills that incur greater national debt?

We all see the direction our current leadership is taking us. We’re facing huge economics losses and unprecedented sickness and death among the population. We need a new leadership direction to fix this situation and here’s the speech I’d like to see Joe Biden give.

Joe Biden —

People of America, I’m going to address this pandemic and our lagging economy in the only way that truly makes sense. I will use the power of the presidency to provide contracts to every corporation in the country capable of producing N95 respirator masks, face shields, gloves, and isolation gowns. I will have companies retooled and retro-fitted so they can produce these necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) items. These are the tools every American needs to fight the corona virus.

Let’s talk directly about the N95 masks. These masks are in short supply in the country and are typically reserved for medical professionals. They’re reserved for medical professionals because they work!!; They’re the best masks on the market. They can be worn all day with relative comfort and have assured protection from the corona virus. The N95 mask is a respirator mask and has a breathing apparatus that helps you get air without exhausting through the sides and top of the mask. It’s form-fitting to the face and the wearer has confidence of 95% protection from getting the virus and also has 95% confidence of not giving the virus to someone else.

I want the N95 mask to be the standard mask for ALL Americans! If every American citizen is wearing a N95 mask, we have mutually assured 95% protection in all situations. We can immediately restart our economy, because workers, teachers, students… everybody will be protected with 95% assurance.

Instead of having trillion dollar economic stimulus bills I’m proposing we spend mere billions instead. Billions to produce the N95 masks, face shields, gloves and gowns that every American citizen needs. I propose we create these items in such quantities that each household can have a fresh box of N95 masks in their home every week. If we’re all 95% protected from this virus, we can go on with our lives, our economy will flourish and we can get to a new form of normal until there is a vaccine for this plague.

What’s important here is giving the American people a level of confidence that they wouldn’t get sick or get their family members sick from this virus. By having the federal government pay companies to product these PPE products and having the N95 mask as the American standard mask, we can be well on our way to recovering or economy. People can go back to work, go to their jobs and get pay checks to pay their rent and pay their other bills. There will be some challenging business models of course, like restaurants and bars. These we have to address with other additional protective measures. But as a general rule if everyone wears an N95 mask and we can simply see that our neighbors, teachers, workers and students are all wearing their N95 respirator mask, we can go back to work, to school, the store, the gym, and other places with 95% confidence we are all protected. Then we can be 100% assured that we can beat this pandemic.

In our 37th episode of the Madness Chronicles, we’ll look at the madness of getting rich during a pandemic. Remember, madness is a state of being mentally ill, severely, extremely foolish behavior, and a form of frenzied or chaotic activity. Let’s take a look at the madness of pandemic profits.

As we begin this journey, keep in mind that businesses worldwide have been shuttered, restaurants closed, and millions of people out of work. With draconian lockdowns the norm, some creative people make gold lemonade from the sour lemons the rest of the world enjoy.

Take Elon Musk, for instance. A young entrepreneur, a billionaire creator of Tesla. You know that fancy electric car with the battery that costs more than most other vehicles. ZeroHedge reports that in the past year, think pandemic, lockdowns, and masks, Musks’ net worth quadrupled to over $100 billion. That’s a lot of money, no matter how you say it. Pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say?

Well, just like everything in 2020, this seems a bit off. While Tesla proves, ‘profitable’ a peak under the covers shows a strange 2020 story. From 2010 to 2020, while reporting ‘profits,’ Tesla has accumulated a staggering debt of $5.6 billion. But wait, weren’t there profits at Tesla? Of course, but it seems they come in the form of selling’ regulatory credits’. Which netted them a cool $397 million last year. So their profits came from ‘regulatory credits’ not selling new Tesla’s.

Purely speculation on my part, but Musk is using the same accounting firm that Dr. Tony Fauci and the CDC use to calculate Wuhan virus deaths. I wonder how you get in on selling’ regulatory credits’? Nonetheless, Elon Musk is now the second richest man in the world to Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

Speaking of Bezos, Forbes reports that since the pandemic began, Bezos’ fortunes have increased to over $230 billion, rising over $90 billion in the year of the pandemic. Keep in mind that is billion with a B. Other billionaires weren’t as fortunate. Take Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist, and self-proclaimed vaccine guru, Bill Gates. Their wealth jumped a paltry 20%, putting his net worth at $118 billion since March. The deer in the headlights Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg did much better than Gates with an 85% gain to $101.2 billion.

Overall the United States is home to 644 billionaires. The market must be as fickle as the virus itself because these billionaires’ wealth rose nearly $1 trillion. That puts these 644 individuals now worth $3.88 trillion. That would be with a T. During the pandemic their fortunes rose by an astounding $934 billion. The $3.88 trillion wealth of these 644 ordinary folks is nearly double the $2.1 trillion worth of the bottom 50% of our country’s population, whose net worth wasn’t growing.

Pandemics, it turns out, are funny things. According to the CDC, this would be the third pandemic in my lifetime. I had no idea the first two happened, and here we have this one where you can catch it if you go to church but not if you go to Walmart. The damn thing must impact the financial fortunes the same way. The small sliver of unmeasurable billionaires gains a fortune. At the same time, 50% of the rest are left sitting at the traffic light. Strange times this 2020 has been.

May we wake from this madness before it’s too late. I wish you good health, and until next time, have fun, enjoy life, and watch out for the madness amongst us. It’s 2020, and it’s getting out of hand.

Are there life lessons to be learned during this pandemic? You bet.

Albeit, it isn’t over yet. President Donald Trump warned last week that the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. will probably “get worse before it gets better.” Yup, kinda figured that out. The coronavirus isn’t going anywhere soon and, once again, this pandemic is forcing people to pause and reflect.

Well, maybe not everyone is pausing. As states began lifting restrictions of businesses and public areas, photos and videos of people gathering in mass began emerging on the news. Not only was I alarmed as an older American, but I felt that in the rush to get back to “normal,” people were missing out on learning valuable lessons about empathy and self-sacrificing.

In fact, the attitude of some people shocked me. For example, I heard about Elizabeth Linscott and her husband, Isaiah, from Kentucky who were placed on house arrest last week after Elizabeth tested positive for the coronavirus. The couple refused to sign documents agreeing to quarantine at home for two weeks.

“There is no pandemic,” Elizabeth stated emphatically. Really? A pandemic is defined as the worldwide spread of a new disease. With over 16 million people around the world diagnosed with COVID-19 at the time of this writing, doesn’t that qualify?

“If you’re scared, please do stay home, because I can’t put my life on pause because you’re scared,” she added in an interview with Good Morning America. I was floored. What about the people on the front lines – everyone from those in the medical field to grocery store workers – who are scared but forced to go to work? They don’t have the choice to “stay home.” Those more vulnerable still need to venture outside for essential tasks like buying food or medical appointments. I want to say, hey Elizabeth, we’re talking about 14 days out of your entire life when your actions could mean life and death for some people. Whatever happened to self-sacrificing for the greater good?

Yet, I fully realize there are some who agree with her statements.

Even after restrictions were lifted, for some “normal” life was still impossible. Older baby boomers and those with health issues were still advised to stay at home. And for those grieving the loss of a loved one, things would never be the same. Really, after a vaccination is available and we get to the other side of this pandemic, will our “normal” look the same for any of us? I don’t think so. Here’s a thought. When that happens, before running out to claim our lives back, maybe it’s time to admit that the pandemic has changed us forever – and some of it is worth preserving.

Ryan Seacrest joked, “If I start a New Years countdown will 2020 be over?” A funny joke, but perhaps because I’m older and know my days are limited, I wouldn’t give up precious time, even with its trials, to rush ahead to the future. If we use this pandemic as a time to reflect, there are important and unique life lessons to be learned.

Not that the coronavirus pandemic has been fun. I don’t want to be a Pollyanna here. Admittedly, it’s been torturous and overwhelming at times. As the death toll increases every day, the news is heartbreaking. I miss hugging my family and friends, traveling to new exciting places, and the blissful freedom of attending a boisterous, crowded concert. The dystopian sight of empty grocery store shelves, cities that resembled ghost towns, and people wearing masks was jolting as the pandemic began. I was forced to see the uglier side of humanity as some people hoarded food, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. Scammers tried to take advantage of the panic. And there was the cruel phrase “boomer remover” that began trending on Twitter, aimed at us baby boomers who are more vulnerable to the virus.

On the lighter side, can we talk about grooming issues? As the weeks went by and it became obvious that visiting my hair stylist was out of the question, I thought maybe this was a good time to see what I looked like with gray hair. I was horrified. My husband, who at 60 is lucky enough to still have plenty of hair, looked like a mad scientist. So, there’s that. A bottle of Revlon and some hair cutting scissors did the trick, but not quite with the same results as a professional would achieve.

On some days, I felt productive and creative as I tapped into reservoirs of strength and inspiration. But there were also days I fought depression and anxiety, hated being confined to my house, ate a big bag of chips with a glass of wine to console myself, felt overwhelmed with news stories, and struggled to cope. I felt like it was all too much – and it was. The world hadn’t faced something like this in over a century. On top of all the tragedies, there was the devastating economic impact as small businesses struggled to stay open. Then, protests and riots broke out in a fight for racial justice.

It’s okay to not be okay sometimes.

And yet amidst all the turmoil, the pandemic required me to be quiet and still. To be content with my own company. To slow down and reflect on the more important aspects of life. With that in mind, here are some valuable lessons I’ve learned so far and changes I want to maintain, even after the pandemic is over.

I learned to:

* Embrace My Spirituality

My spirituality and reliance on God has become more important than ever. The coronavirus reinforced that life is uncertain and unpredictable. As a result, I’ve learned to depend on God more fully in order to retain a sense of hope, strength, patience, and endurance.

* Appreciate Loved Ones Even More

Along with the rest of the world, I’ve learned the value of human connections in a way not possible before.

Not being able to see family makes them all the more precious to me. I don’t miss going out to dinner and traveling to exotic places as much as I miss holding my 2-year-old granddaughter’s small hand.

I even became grateful for technology – which I have a love/hate relationship with normally – that allows us to stay in touch with our loved ones. Even so, I’ll admit that it’s not the same. I’m an introvert and not exactly a people person. However, I realize now that I took hugs from friends for granted.

On the positive side, with children home from school and parents working from their houses, families have come together, enjoying sports in the backyard, playing board games, riding bikes, and solving puzzles. That’s beautiful to see.

* See the Good in People

It’s true what they say. The worst of times can bring out the best in people. Amidst all the chaos, I saw courageous and selfless heroes emerge.

My husband’s colleague, Art, explained how his nurse, in her 60s who administers treatments for his health issues, bravely answered New York City’s cry for help in April and flew to the epicenter of COVID-19 during the worst of the outbreak. “I don’t know if she’s coming back,” Art said soberly. Thousands joined her.

Medical staff are still answering the call for help in areas hardest hit by the virus. Recently, U.S. Air Force doctors, nurses and other medical providers were sent to work in California hospitals, including Eisenhower hospital close to my home, to assist with a steep rise in coronavirus cases that is straining the healthcare system.

Delivery people and grocery store workers are willing to put their lives on the line to serve us. Many restaurant owners are donating food. Communities and neighborhoods provide encouragement to each other with signs and teddy bears in windows or positive messages written in chalk on sidewalks. People are fostering dogs to help out shelters. No one is immune from this virus and in some ways that serves to unite us.

* Savor Nature

Although I’ve always appreciated nature. I became more aware of the beauty of hibiscus flowers blooming in my courtyard, the tranquil sounds of birds singing cheerfully, or the desert night sky revealing all its myriad glories.

With a decrease in air pollution in our cities, the skies never looked bluer. Wildlife began to reclaim areas once dominated by humans.

It’s never been more true – nature calms.

* Be Grateful for my Life and Health

The pandemic taught me how precarious life can be and how vulnerable we all are as humans. Life itself should never be taken for granted – not even while enduring hardships. It was a sober reminder to take care of my health.

I have to admit, keeping my snacking under control while stuck at home is challenging, but I did develop some healthy habits I want to keep.

For example, desperate to get out of the house and into nature, I’ve never taken more walks and bike rides. Now that it’s too hot to exercise outdoors where I live, thanks to a friend, I’ve discovered the FitOn app with free exercise videos. After all, exercising not only helps our immune system, but can reduce the extra anxiety we’re all feeling right now.

I also learned not to stress over the small stuff. A pandemic puts minor problems into perspective.

* Become More Empathetic

During the initial panic, some couldn’t afford to stockpile food and toilet paper, which made me even more conscious of those out of work who lived paycheck-to-paycheck. Some people had to make the horrific choice of staying safe or risking their lives and going back to work to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Some chose the latter, and died as a result.

I think about the helpless and vulnerable seniors who are terrified in nursing homes and those with mental issues that struggle, even during normal circumstances, to overcome their fears. This gives me perspective. I know that the apprehension and uneasiness that I sometimes feel doesn’t compare.

The coronavirus taught me the value of making self-sacrifices that includes keeping a safe distance from people and wearing a mask for those more vulnerable than myself. Although there are exceptions, thankfully, the majority of people seem to feel the same way.

I’ve always known, but the pandemic reinforced the fact that giving back and focusing on others not only helps others but also provides a sense of well-being and peace.

* Live with Less

When the pandemic began, literally afraid to go grocery shopping, I began buying only essential things that would last two weeks. My husband and I were surprised to discover how well we survived with the basics on hand. We learned to decipher between needs and wants and saved money.

Like I mentioned before, I learned to dye my own hair and give my husband a trim. We looked okay. Fancy clothes and shoes became unimportant. We ate at home more and tried new recipes. And can we talk about saving gas money by not running around needlessly?

There are important financial lessons to be learned here.

* Laugh More

Keeping a sense of humor is important, especially during troublesome times. When I saw my husband’s worried face as I took scissors to his hair, well, I’ve never laughed harder. I appreciated all the funny memes and tweets about the bizarre ways we found to entertain ourselves while stuck at home and our obsession with snack foods. It’s true. Laughter is the best medicine.

I know we’re all burned out by now and in a hurry to live a “normal life” again, but let’s not forget all these life lessons. In reality, we know life won’t be the same after this pandemic is over but, as I pointed out earlier, perhaps that’s not entirely a bad thing.

I hope we’ve learned to never take for granted hugs from loved ones, grocery store shelves overflowing with food, the excitement of a crowded concert, and each deep breath we take.

I hope we continue to make our spirituality and spending time with loved ones a priority.

I hope we realize how little we really need to survive.

I hope we remember how strong and resilient we can be during challenging times.

I hope we emerge from this pandemic more grateful, kinder, and appreciative.

And I hope we never forget how to find light in the midst of darkness.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has turned life upside-down for many Americans, and has forced many small business owners to either temporarily shutter their businesses or at the very least completely change the way in which they operate.

Some small businesses have been forced to close down due to an inability to pay rent, lease payments, other bills and salaries. Others have been able to make it through the pandemic so far, but will still likely see a significant financial impact if they have not already. Even those businesses “making it,” many have had to lay off employees.

There are only so many expenses businesses are able to cut. It is important for owners of small to medium-sized businesses to be proactive about making the necessary adjustments to stay financially healthy and make it through the pandemic whole.

What should you do?

To understand the steps you should take now as a business owner, it is important to take the future into consideration. It is difficult to say how long an economic bounce back will take as states start to reopen and the economy slowly begins to rebuild. Companies that make it through may start to change the strategies they use for taking out loans or leases and paying cash.

There is a misconception that banks are withholding money from small businesses, but this isn’t true at all. Local banks are as affected by the pandemic as the businesses they serve. These banks aren’t receiving payments for loans they gave during a prosperous economy.

In thinking about this, the old saying “cash is king” still rings true in a sense, when you consider the vast majority of companies did not have enough savings for a month without being open. It is difficult for businesses running lean operations to keep reserves for a rainy day.

However, the good news is that the pandemic hasn’t completely stunted the growth of companies throughout the country. There are still plenty of businesses looking to grow and flourish in this economy. Businesses in industries such as technology, manufacturing, biotechnology, medicine and transportation are still seeing significant growth.

With this in mind, it’s not unreasonable for you as a business owner to still have your mind on growth. Consider the areas in which your company needs to grow-employee numbers, equipment, marketing budgets, software, etc., and the strategies you will implement to accomplish these goals.

As the global economy repairs itself over the next 12 to 18 months, business owners will need to make major decisions about how they approach growth to set themselves up for a sustainable long-term future. As always, the recommendation is “if it appreciates, buy it. If it depreciates, lease it.”

For most children, going back to school post the coronavirus pandemic involves mixed emotions. Some students just cannot wait to see their teachers and friends. Others may find it difficult to change their routine once again. Irrespective of how you are children react during this time, you may want to help them deal with the anxiety. This is important if you want your kids to adopt this transition more easily. Given below are some tips that will help you.

Change your Expectations

Without any doubt, the school will be a different experience for school going kids after the pandemic. You may want to make adjustments to your expectations, which is why you must have patience. You may want to put your expectations to rest for a while. This is important if you don’t want your anxiety to have a negative impact on the health of your children.

Understand their Anxiety

Your kids want you to understand how they feel. If you don’t understand the psychological aspect of it, you may want to at least understand that they have a real problem to deal with. So, what you need to do is talk to them and try to understand their concern. In other words, if you want your kids to feel safe and secure, you may want to learn to validate their feelings.

Prepare them

You may also want to discuss free safety procedures that you need to implement. And for this purpose, you need to take the right steps to get your child ready. You may want to drive them to school. Once they are back, you may want to ask them how they felt at the school.

Focus on the reconnection aspect

You may want to help your kids to focus on the reconnection aspect. This will involve helping them reconnect with their learning, teachers, and friends. This process may take a few days if not weeks. Besides, the teachers will also apply the right strategies in order to help your kids reconnect with their class fellows. So, you may want to support these healthy activities. Besides, you may want to reassure your children that they will feel comfortable once again.

Give them some time to rest

After the covid-19, going to school will have a similar experience for your kids that they had when they went to school for the first time. Therefore, they will need some time to adjust to the environment, classmates, and teachers. So, they will need a lot of personal energy to adopt the changes. So, you may want to give them plenty of time to have some rest after school.

Take Care of Yourself

Over the past few months, parents are struggling to handle the emotional labor. Besides, the learning curve requires that you take a break and recharge your batteries. So, what you need to do is consider your emotional resources as well. It will help you deal with the stress.

Long story short, we suggest that you follow these tips if you want your kids to handle anxiety when going back to school once again.