Light in the Darkness

Times are not the best right now. The COVID-19 virus, or the coronavirus, is really reaking its havoc on us.

I work for a small business. There are only 6 employees in total. We all have seen the effects of this virus and the withdraw and fear its created. We all have to cut back our socialization for the sake of others. I have asthma and my mom has very serious health issues. I can’t be in contact with people around me, because it can kill me or my mom.

Life has changed so fast. School is all online, and people are not prepared for the change. People don’t listen to the facts that are being presented. People are dying. Livelihoods are destroyed. History is being created.

I never thought that life would go this way. I was going to walk across this stage in the end of May, showing everyone what I was made of. Showing them that this middle class suburban city kid has plans to make an impact. But now, everything school related is online.

And don’t get me started on the people. I can’t buy enough food to stock up on because of all of the greedy people out there. My friend almost got into a fight with a person because they didn’t leave the store fast enough. The inner darkness of people are coming out. People are treating this virus like the apocalypse. While I do agree that the economy is destroyed and people do have a right to be afraid, we can still make it through this. Or I hope so.

My friend, Kristen, and her family are not doing the best. She’s working her hardest, trying to get through 7 classes to get into UC Davis at the end of this semester. It was hard enough for her to do 7 physical classes, but now online and disorganized? Yikes. She had her hours drastically cut due to her job being a restaurant and not wanting to spread the disease around. I see her all the time there and try and support her as much as I can, because I know she needs it. Her mental state isn’t the best due to so much of the stress thrown on her. Her mom just got laid off and she’s worried about paying rent for her house, let alone her car and her medical bills. I want to do as much for her as I can, so I’m linking her GoFundMe here. Please support her if you can. Anything helps.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/h5gpr-anything-helps?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR1JkKdWHXrGMvpEYGNrnj09PZJt0e9PzvCzQMUwmY_wBeP_WxAUY4jmn_0

But there is some light in the darkness. I know that the people at the shop come in all of the time. I have people that live 30 miles away come by just to see me in those opening shifts to say hi and grab a cup of coffee. I know that the community wants to see us succeed. I’ve been given tips with a smile on their face, trying to keep our doors open. Because of the impact we can make on the community. This guy, his name is Frank. He comes in all of the time with a bunch of change on him on weekends because people use more cash than their card and I can’t make perfect change all of the time.

It’s support like that that still makes me feel like there is something worth fighting for. We aren’t alone. Acts of kindness are still happening in the world. All of the people out there trying to support the communities and the people first hand that are affected by this. The selfless doctors, grocery workers, garbage men and women, they all do their part. I feel like the most I can do at this point in time is invest to my people I can directly affect. I want to help my friend Kristen out. I know life is difficult, but I believe that once we come together, we can do anything. If you guys could donate even one dollar, that would be enough. Please help her. Please help me. Please help all of us. We can do it, I know we can.