Kickstarter: The sun will come out

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

Victor Hugo, from Les Miserables.

We have been here before. Same, yet different.

Depending on your age, you’ve lived through tragedies that changed mankind and this country.

• World War I.
• The Great Depression.
• Pearl Harbor and the subsequent World War II.
• The atomic bombs on Japan.
• JFK assassination.
• The hype of Y2K.
• 9/11.
• For those on the Gulf Coast, Katrina.
• The financial collapse of 2008.

You may not believe those events are similar to this current crisis, but in the midst of trial and tribulation, it’s the biggest event of your life. Just tell people who suffered the hardship of Pearl Harbor and WW II that this coronavirus problem is worse, and listen to their response. The same, yet different.

Ask someone who experienced the JFK assassination and they can give you vivid detail of where they were, who they were with and how it changed their life.

The fact is, every national tragedy is a snapshot in time that leaves an indelible mark — and often many scars — etched on your mind, heart and soul. To say they are game-changers is an understatement. A mile marker simply doesn’t do them justice.

But, regardless of the specific adversity or catastrophe, they will also be able to recount the changes it brought to their lives.

These are the times that make us and break us. The times that change us. The times that alter our trajectory, our direction and, yes, our future.

Nothing will be the same again. Yes, there will be practical adjustments (e.g. restaurant delivery will likely increase, the U.S. will make more prescription drugs, supply lines will be transformed), but it’s the human changes that will determine our future and our destiny.

More specifically, you will never be the same.

And, actually, that’s the question for you. What will the coronavirus experience do for you? Will it make you better or will it make you bitter? Will you love more or will you withdraw more?

It’s always darkest before the dawn, but great victories come through great challenges. They are more than mile markers, they are the things that make us who we are.

After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul’s indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.

William R. Alger.

Indeed, the sun will come out tomorrow and what you learn, observe and experience when the stars shine bright during the present night will determine the road map on the other side. It will alter your character and the very person that you are.

So here are a few questions to help you determine what’s happening in your life.

• Are you making the most of the experience or are you simply biding your time in the quarantine and separation from the world?
• Have you helped others or are you simply waiting for others to help you?
• Name something that coronavirus has changed in you.
• Who have you become closer with? Friend, family, co-worker?
• What is that greatest memory that will remain indelibly marked on your mind, heart and soul?

Don’t just twiddle your thumbs. Don’t simply sleep late, eat big and watch TV. Yes, you’re in the darkest night of this generation. But remember that if it weren’t for the darkness, you’d never see the stars.

Yes, we’ve been here before. But don’t miss the different. Let it change you. Let it grow you.