So this is not exactly the blog entry I had expected to write. Just a couple of weeks ago, I thought I’d be sharing something about family, friends, and fun, experiencing things like the Millionaire’s Row Cruise in Miami. Maybe enjoying some beach time in the sunshine state or taking in our spectacular nighttime skyline.

Plans Change

April of 2020 is shaping up a whole lot different from April of last year or any other year for that matter. A whole lot different. Look, I’ll admit that I’m one of those overly-optimistic, perhaps-to-the-point-of-being-annoying people. I’m the kind of person that always wants to find a silver lining in whatever we are facing. As tragic as this turn our world has taken is, in the face of the large number of people that are sick, lonely, and scared, I dare to see a ray of light.

We’re In This Together

You see, I believe in the human race. I believe that without knowing it, each and every one of us has been, at some point or another, sicker, lonelier, or more scared, and maybe even all three than we are now. The fact that we are going through this pandemic collectively gives me a sense of “I’m not technically in this one alone,” and there just seems to be something encouraging about knowing that.  You are not alone. We are not alone. We are all walking through the same uncharted territory but again, there’s just a surreal feeling that we have been here before, maybe not sharing circumstances, but still uncharted territory. No matter what faces us, we seem to have always found ourselves on the other side lonely at some point. No matter what we go though we seem to find our solution and move on.

A Greater Appreciation

The Coronavirus is no joke. It has stopped us in our tracks. It has overwhelmed medical structures around the world. It has been devastating to our economy. I could go on and on. My heart goes out to everyone that has been affected by this tragedy in any form. The one thing I can’t stop thinking about is that I will never take my freedom for granted again. Today I know that when the time comes, I will be grateful for all of the things that I have taken for granted for so long. We should all appreciate the here and now like never before– the gifts we have today and never really took the time to realize how much of a gift these things are.

Moving Forward

To be honest, I am supposed to be writing a blog for Island Queen Cruises, extolling the products and services that we offer and I might be out of order sharing my personal opinion here, but nothing else feels right. As I sigh, I’m thinking, will this even get published?

I continue to pray and I know I can speak for all of my coworkers when I say this; we pray for everyone that is suffering due to this virus. I pray that you can be close to your loved ones so you can take care of one another. Spread the love. Spread peace and calm. Spread hope. Together we are strong. God bless.