First, I want to start this off by giving my thanks to all the hard-working people out there who are the only thing keeping everything up and running as much as possible. With a worldwide pandemic going on and everyone being on edge, I wanted to address something that is probably not on our minds right now. I want to talk about Random Acts of Kindness. Now if you work in the school system you probably know what this is, and even if you don't, most people can guess based on the words but I'm going to explain anyway. The concept of Random Acts of Kindness comes from people taking their time to do at least one act of kindness to whoever for a day, or for however long you choose to participate. Now before I continue, I bet you're thinking well that's nice but I can't really do that now. We're not allowed to go out or be near other people. You are right in that most of us can't do normal acts of kindness right now like giving someone a hug, dropping by to hang out, bringing them food, giving extra change or small gifts stuff like that - but that shouldn't stop us. Especially now when everyone is on edge or feeling overwhelmed, letting them know they are not alone can make all the difference. Instead, trying to find alternative options can have just as much of an impact.

Anything virtual is still fair game, so maybe send them a kind text or message, post something on their feed, or send them a picture - anything like that is great and doesn't require anything other than yourself and your words. If you want to get material items but aren't too comfortable with sending it, save it and just send them a picture of it letting them know you have something for them and will get it to them sometime. Or you can save it and make it a surprise gift. Maybe you can call them up or just leave a short voicemail saying how much you care about them, or that if they need to talk or listen you are here for them. Be as creative as possible but also be mindful of people's own preferences or wishes, and don't overstep in your attempt. If you don't have someone specific in mind, maybe just make a general shoutout to everyone or a wide group of people. Whatever you choose to do, just know that we should be doing our best to find ways to come together and offer support in any way we can. Stay safe and I wish everyone is well.