I was talking to my brother last night. He’s a really great guy and I’m not just saying that because we have the same genes. He has this crazy, wildly biting wit, but in the next breath, he’ll be telling me he loves me. He calls and checks in with me way more than I call him. In other words, he’s a good brother.
My brother is a worker. He has been committed to the same company since the day he graduated from college and now he has kids in college. He shows up early and leaves late. He hates to take vacation time and I’d bet he can count his number of sick days on one hand. He’s still working, but everything else in his normally busy life has just stopped.
So that brings us back to last night, talking on the phone. “What are you going to do with yourself?” I asked half-jokingly. My brother paused. “I don’t know. I’ve never had all the time in the world before.”
We sat silently for just a moment before widening that statement. We talked about how the entire world is going through this together. The entire world! Our views may be different, but our hearts are the same. We are confused and hurting and not quite sure what to do with all the time in the world.
I think we’re on the brink of a beautiful unfolding of kindness.
Take a walk outside and get some fresh air. Then join the world on social media, but instead of reading anything that threatens to clog your peaceful mindset, give your time only to the posts that continue to help you breathe. The ones showing neighbors making funny signs for neighbors. The ones offering to pick up supplies for people in town. The ones with cute puppies.
Stay in that place of peace.
When we rest there, we can look at all the time in the world with fresh eyes. We can see this as a gift for one more game of Yahtzee, or a chance to watch Spring unfold, or the perfect moment to call an old friend.
Through that peace, kindness unfolds in our hearts and then in our households and then in our world. Because once we can look with affection on having all the time in the world, we can look with affection on those who are going through it with us.