During the beginning of this pandemic and shutdown, I must confess, I was not personally affected like some.  I had open heart surgery just as things were shutting down and so, it was a good time to recover since I was supposed to stay home anyway.

At first, I was relieved that I didn’t have to cancel every commitment I had made while I recovered since my recovery took longer than I anticipated (as usual with me).

As I recovered my strength and stamina, I was happy to catch up with chores I had been putting off because I was too busy. My yard looked better than it has in a long time. I learned the names and songs of birds on my walks.  I missed browsing in the library and finding things to read, but I had plenty of books to read at home. 

As time went on, I felt sadness for Kayla and others who were sick from the virus. I felt bad for Jori and Dakota struggling with not being able to see Kayla.

I thought about Edith, alone in the church all day, not able to be home, and hoped after the election if not before, she would be given her freedom to live her life as the good person she is.

I worried about people who could not work and earn a living to pay rent and buy groceries. I hoped kids were getting an education in spite of schools being shut down but I knew some were not who did not have electronic access.

My son Scott, who is a chef in a restaurant and worked while they were open for take-out food, started to have symptoms of the virus.  He had to stay home from work for 5 days, got a virus test, and it was negative, a Bright Spot.

So, then I decided that I would notice Bright Spots along the way.  When I missed seeing people from church and being there, I enjoyed seeing the wonderful Worship in Place services and seeing people with their families and peeking into their homes.

When I missed being with Piecemakers, a Bright Spot was the video during the Worship in Place a few weeks ago.  Seeing my fellow Piecemakers made me smile.

I love chatting with people and hearing about their lives.   I missed that since not being at Brunch Bunch and at church.  A Bright Spot though has been the Daily Connectors where people from church talk about their lives and experiences, along with wonderful pictures.

While I have been angry by the treatment of black people by the police and other vigilantes, the murder of George Floyd could be a Bright Spot if the protests bring about real change and justice is done.

So, like Marlene, I am grateful for Bright Spots or silver linings among the not so bright times. I am grateful for my church and the incredibly talented people in the congregation who have used their talents to keep us in touch and brighten our days.