All we have been hearing and seeing are the absolute negatives of the COVID-19. Of course the impact has been absolutely overwhelming! I have searched my mind daily looking for a reason to be positive about this situation. It has impacted our health resources, economic viability and our mental stability.

Being at home on a constant 24-hour basis has given one the feeling of a caged animal ready to strike at anyone at any time. However, I have noticed that my dog, Gigi, has thoroughly enjoyed it. She is eight years old and during her life, I have been working away from the house most of the day. She would say goodbye in the morning and hello at night when I got home. But because my work life has changed, there have been changes in her life as well. I have become a constant in her life. Her attitude towards me has become increasingly more compatible. Why am I addressing this? I am using the relationship with my dog as a place-mat for internal family relationships during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Our lives have changed, and I expect the overall impact will ultimately continue in the future. We have the opportunity to benefit from the lockdown by taking a deep breath and counting our blessings focusing on our relationships. I believe our fast and furious pre-COVID lifestyle has precluded us from nurturing our personal relationships. Look around and take a moment to assay your life’s relationships. As long as we are confined or we find that our relationships become tested, the real opportunity to overcome the deficits exist. Use this time wisely and improve you relationships. The result is powerful and fulfilling.

What I am saying is simple. Look around and benefit from the destruction the virus has caused. The personal growth will last your lifetime. Make the best of a horrific situation.