Be Grateful, Patient and Compassionate When It Matters Most

We are living in very interesting times right now. People are fearful, uncertain and down right panicked. Our economy is taking a beating and we are heading into a Presidential Election year which always creates chaos no matter who’s running or what their platform’s focus is. But like everything else we have experienced, this too shall pass. It might just take longer than we would like.

We have been presented with endless opportunities to demonstrate gratitude, patience and compassion when it matters most. I have seen tremendous examples of people leaning in and helping those in need. I have had conversations with exceptional humans who are using this time to positively help others through uncertainty. And then there are numerous examples of people behaving poorly.

Just today, as I was watching the morning news, I heard a story of a passenger on a United Airlines flight this week that was treated very poorly by other passengers for simply sneezing and coughing from seasonal allergies. Now some might say but Mama Llama, how did they know the person wasn’t infected? My question is, how did they know they weren’t? Another example came from a friend of mine at LAX the other night. He got to witness first hand similar behaviors in the boarding area.

Listen, I get it. People are panicking and concerned for their health and that of their families. And let’s be honest, the news media isn’t helping at all. But seriously? Nothing gives you the right to treat another human poorly regardless of the times we are living in. What type of example is that setting for our youth and future generations? That when things get tough, you can turn into a rude, inpatient and uncaring human? Well not in my house. This mama llama is using these situations as teaching and learning opportunities for how NOT to behave. We are instilling a need for our kids to demonstrate compassion, patience and gratitude. To not judge simply because of an action or how someone looks.

We are choosing to be grateful right now and demonstrate gratitude whenever possible. For instance, I am grateful to have the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. During times like these, I feel so fortunate to be able to continue to do what I do from my couch, car, office, etc. But for some, they see this altered working state of working from home an inconvenience. For some they feel it’s not ideal and it’s impacting their ability to work effectively. Or they don’t want to have to be at home with their spouse/significant other.

Like everything, someone has it worse than you. You could have a job where you have to show up every day to the restaurant, coffee shop, store, airport, office, etc. And if/when people stop visiting the store, airport, restaurant, etc, their work also stops or at least slows. Then their hours get cut and ultimately, so do their paychecks. You could work for an airline and each day wonder if you are going to be forced to take a furlough or worse yet, get laid off. So those of you who are bitching about having to work from home, be grateful you have a job with flexibility and a paycheck.

We are also grateful our school system hasn’t been shut-down. Not because our kids will be at home with us for a prolonged period of time, but because that means the number of cases of Covid-19 has increased significantly here in Minnesota. Should that time come, we are going to be grateful our kids are home, safe and healthy. We are blessed our kids are part of a school district that simply moves all their learnings online. Should a closure come, our kids pick up right where they left off at school. Learning continues, there’s no make-up work and no elongated school year because of “missed days”.

But for those who won’t have school there are many families worried about how they will keep their kids busy, entertained or engaged for up to two weeks. So much so that I have seen a number of segments on local and national news with doctors providing advice on what to do. Be a parent. Is it more difficult than that? When I came down with the chicken pox I missed a whole week of school. While it had its issues (itchy, calamine soaked skin) I found a lot to do. My mom and I baked. I read books. Heck, I even played Outlaw on the Atari. But we survived and without the help of some renowned doctor sharing their insights on the importance of routines.

I know, I sound frustrated and that’s because I am. Much of what I have witnessed thus far has been frustrating. But, I believe things will change. I am confident as time passes, great things will come out of this experience. We will see better flexible work arrangements for workers in companies who have been slow to adapt. We will witness greater and more efficient business continuity plans and more advanced use of technology in schools that are lagging behind.

Most importantly, I am hopeful we spend far more time thinking about the actual human impacts vs. the policies and procedures we are putting in place. That we spend time helping leaders, parents, teachers, and individuals to think about the impacts to people and how to demonstrate gratitude, patience and compassion when faced with uncertainty, stressors and panic. We need better people preparedness so that when challenging times are presented, we focus on how people are treated, feel and behave and less on just the planning and execution of continuity plans.

So let me end with this….be grateful for the people you have in your life, be patient with others and demonstrate compassion even when no one is looking. It all goes back to my simplistic way of looking at life…treat others the way you want to be treated or how you would want your children treated. No.Matter.What. #GoldenRule

Until next time, live in the moment, laugh like everyone is watching and be the best version of you.

Mama Llama a.k.a Lisa