Everything Happens For a Reason?

Some people believe that everything happens for a reason. I can’t deny that there is truth in that, but I’m not sure that’s what happens. What I do know is that how we react to things that happen can make a big difference in the impact different occurrences have on us.

I remember reading, as a kid, about another kid who broke his right arm just before baseball season. He could have gotten mad and sat around for the summer. Instead, he shot baskets and dribbled his basketball left-handed every day. By the time basketball season came around he was the only player on his team who could shoot and dribble with either hand.

So, I’m wondering if this Corona virus happened for a reason, or if we’re being given a huge opportunity to respond to our situation in ways that could be life-changing.

Maybe it’s the little things. Who among us hasn’t stepped up their game in the hand-washing department? After this pandemic, maybe we’ll get fewer colds in the future because we’re practicing better overall hygiene?

Perhaps we’re in a position now to appreciate our homes as safe havens instead of going anywhere and everywhere all the time, stopping in to sleep. And how about those little projects around the house that are so easy to overlook when you’re rarely there? Organizing a cupboard or dusting the blades of the ceiling fan can be strangely rewarding.

If you have other humans and/or pets to shelter in place with you, maybe investing some time and energy in your relationships with them will be a good use of your home-bound time. And, in this day and age you can keep in touch with people all over the world through email, social media, and services like Skype which let you see and hear your friends and relations. It would hurt to reach out to people you may not know that well who may be alone and worried. A plain-old phone call to an elderly neighbor, for example, is likely to be appreciated and could potentially be life-saving.

Maybe things happen for a reason and maybe they don’t. I don’t know. But maybe you can take some of this excess of time at home to improve your house, your friendships, and you as this crisis ends and our lives go on.