Rock bottom became the solid bottom in which I rebuilt my life: J K Rowling
A young woman in a supermarket spots an elderly man who is looking very stressed. He tells her he arrived too late to get any rice. She reaches into her trolley, puts the packet she’s just picked up into his basket and hurries away without taking any money.
While panic and pandemonium dominate the news, every so often I hear of the little ways in which people are banding together to help not just other people but animals as well.
To me coronavirus spells many things.
C is for calm, buying just what we need.
O is for optimism, we will learn new ways to survive.
R is for responsibility, we each have to do our bit.
O is for the openhearted helping others to live.
N is for nurturing mind, body and soul in a 100 little ways.
A is for the awesome frontline folks, undaunted by fears.
V is for versatile, Bundaberg Rum now becomes Bundaberg sanitisers.
I is for innovative ways to exercise, much better than tears.
R is for resilience, which is a good half of the art of living.
U is for uplifting,we rise by lifting others.
S is for social solidarity without breaching social distancing.
And remember, humour can often be the best medicine. Have you heard this one? Twitter invents Hindi word for social distancing, Tan-Doori. Tan means body and doori means distance.
Indrani Ganguli
Published author and community leader