I am so sick of Coronavirus. Not only do we eat, sleep, and breathe it at work, it’s also all over social media. There’s no escaping its emotional, anxiety-inducing wrath. Tonight, however, I’m focusing on the positives – the silver lining. Despite the restrictive, isolating precautions we’ve taken to keep our residents safe, in many ways, we’re all thriving (*knock on wood*): morale is up, falls are down, and, thank God, we remain in our COVID-free bubble. Below are my top five positive takeaways so far:

1. Our residents are not afraid. In fact, some think we’re being “soft”. Feedback as to why seems to vary: on one hand, many of them have experienced much worse. While this war is invisible, they physically fought in theirs. On the other, they’re over it (and by it, I mean life). They’ve chased dreams and accomplished goals. All of them are tired, most are ready.
2. They’re making the best of it. I’m continuously amazed at how well our residents are adapting, regardless of the changes we spring on them. New developments are reported daily and, as a result, stricter precautions are implemented. Though essentially quarantined to their apartments, our nonnos and nonnas are finding creative ways to have fun: they’re bonding with neighbors from their doorways, belting out oldies, and learning to FaceTime with family. Like giddy college kids with a curfew, they’re even sneaking around (which we as RAs enforcing social distancing don’t appreciate).
3. I’m learning a ton. Having worked for a company that was pennies from bankruptcy, I’m used to getting by with limited resources. What I’ve never had to do, though, is hair. When one of my favorite nonnas insisted our beautician was “essential”, I couldn’t contend; when you look good, you feel good, and we’re committed to keeping spirits high. All I can say is thank God for YouTube and Aqua Net.
4. We’re connecting more deeply. As much as I make it a point to spend time with my loves when things are “normal”, nothing holds a candle to the bonding we’ve done this month. Research suggests that traumatic experiences may actually have positive social consequences, acting as a sort of social glue that fosters cohesion within groups. We totally support that hypothesis. ❤
5. Similarly, the love and support are overwhelming. From our residents and their families to our corporate team and local officials, I feel thankful beyond words. Our Police Chief checks in almost daily, the mayor biweekly. We’ve received countless donations and infinite praise. To say we’re committed to fighting this virus together would be an understatement.

To be clear – despite the above, I’m still f’ing sick of this. Looking forward to recounting all the silver linings and celebrating our return to normalcy very soon.