It is an understatement to say that these are unprecedented times. (Historians, this is not the time to share your infinite knowledge of prior pandemics – just let me have this for now.)
I’m not going to lie. I’m in my feelings about it – from anxiety and stress (having trouble sleeping lately) to fear and sadness (some article I read described it as grief) to optimism and gratitude – and so, the pendulum swings.
A thought that I keep coming back to is this…
Despite the undercurrent of helplessness and lack of control (scary for Type-As like me), what keeps me afloat and going are the little kindnesses I have witnessed over the past few weeks:
- When I thought our data was lost from a critical worksheet (which took me 6 hours to create for our team), the first reaction I received from one of my sweet colleagues was, “How can I help?” It was not blame. It was not, “I didn’t do it.” It was not, “wow, that sucks for you.” It was, “How can I help?”
- One of my neighbor’s kiddos got sick and because she wasn’t sure whether it was COVID-19 or not, she couldn’t use Children’s Motrin and was looking for Children’s Tylenol (of which she had none). In candor, my neighborhood is fiercely divided politically – to the point of incivility (at least on Facebook). It can get pretty mean and ugly. (I won’t even get into the whole “Chinese Virus” vs. “COVID-19” debate). But most importantly, the outpouring of Children’s Tylenol, of offering to go buy it, of offering to buy it in bulk – of follow up and care, really surprised me in the best way.
- I recently saw that a young lawyer I went to lunch with years ago when she just started her career, started at a big firm (which I knew was her goal). I reached out to congratulate her, and she sent me the kindest response:
“Oh my goodness, Mey!!! How could I forget your kindness to me when I reached out as a total stranger?? You’re the reason why I always talk to young attorneys and law students that are feeling stuck. Given how many people you have mentored and invested in over the years, I’m really honored that you remember our lunch from so many years ago!”
Yup, I cried. (Don’t judge, it has been a stressful week!)
My conclusion is this:
While we all can feel helpless and powerless especially during these daunting times, we actually each have the ability to impact others in meaningful and sometimes, unknowable ways.
So despite your workload, give that baby lawyer 15 min of your time. You are slammed, but ask your colleague if you can help because you know her deadline is a day ahead of yours. Give the Amazon or Uber Eats guy a $2 travel hand-sanitizer cause he needs it more than you do.
The power of one is immeasurable — the ripple effect of a single action possibly infinite.
My hope is that you will rise into your power.
Use it for good.
Share generously.
Repeat.
