I hope this email finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. Also, sorry about the Saturday intrusion, but all days of the week seem similar.

I don't know about you, but I am getting optimistic. Maybe it is wishful thinking, or quite possibly desperation, but I am always inspired by human ingenuity. I suspect we will learn more about COVID-19 in the coming days, weeks, and months such that we will be able to resume our normal lives. Sure, it will have a lasting impact. Sure, it accelerated some trends that were already in place. Soon, however, I hope I will not have to worry about contracting the virus, falling ill (dying?), and/or giving it to another person when planning my day.

What gives me hope is what I am seeing around me. I'll call them Pink Shoots that are springing up. They are not economic signs of life, but rather they are signs of beauty, hope, and creativity. It started for me last Friday when there was a spontaneous call for a standing ovation for all the hospital employees on the front lines of this illness. I went outside on my roof and clapped towards the nearby hospital. When I paused, I could hear the echoes of these efforts from far away, and I rejoined the chorus of clapping and cheering. It brought tears of joy to my eyes that we could get through this together by supporting one another.

#WindowsofHope
Instagram

We have Sheltered in Place at our home in New York City for over three weeks. We thankfully have some outdoor space and have been using it to get fresh air rather than venturing outside. It looks directly at patient rooms at Lenox Hill Hospital. We can only imagine what it is like in there. What could we do and where could we start? Then Meredith came up with an inspired thought; let's send messages of hope and support to the hospital (patients and caregivers alike) from our windows. The first day, we wrote, "Lenox Hill ... Thank you, Stay Strong." Amazingly, our words were met with responses. They said, "We see You ❤️." Since then, we update our communication every few days with more and more window responses; I encourage you to communicate through your windows, and if you are so inclined (Instagram savvy), use the #WindowsofHope hashtag. The hospital has been encouraged, moved, and appreciative of our kind words, according to hospital representatives and a nurse who screamed a tearful thank you to us from her window. She said, keep writing, and we'll write back. This simple communication reminds us that we all need to be present and appreciative of each other. I, for one, could not be more grateful for the doctors, nurses, and others in that hospital risking everything to help New Yorkers in need. That is why our message yesterday was, "You are NY's Heroes!"

Lenox Hill Staff Well-being Fund, 200 iPad Minis
Charity

The needs are endless. Look no further than the government's $2 trillion dollar Coronavirus stimulus package. While government assistance is a step, it doesn't always (never?) reach the right hands at the right time. The next day I reached out to an old friend (and fellow Louper) who is a doctor at the Lenox Hill Hospital hospital (John Boockvar) to see what we could do. His first answer was personal protective equipment, which we didn't have, but next, he put me in touch with the Community outreach folks at the hospital. I asked them to tell me how I could help.

After a thoughtful conversation and speaking to doctors/nurses, they responded that they need immediately 200 iPad Minis for patients and doctors. This would allow patients to easily communicate their needs with staff, thus lessening the need for face-to-face contact with limited personal protective equipment (PPE). Furthermore, the COVID-19 patients are alone in the hospital, separated from their concerned loved ones leading to feelings of loneliness and fear. These iPads allow them to Facetime and communicate with their families. This is a small ask, but with everyone's help easily attainable and will guarantee to make a huge difference. Make your donation, by clicking here!

Explore.Org
App, Website

If there ever was a time for exploration, this is it. I don't mean exploring Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+ (ummm check, done that) but rather something meaningful and/or beautiful. Explore.org is a live nature network that's mission (in part) is for you to fall in love with the world again and promote life long learning. It is a repository of videos from people who have dedicated their lives to extraordinary causes. It features a wide range of topics, from animal rights to health and human service to the environment to education to spirituality. So instead of binge-watching the Tiger King on Netflix, how about watching gorillas where they're meant to be, in the wild!

Backgrounds

One very amusing thing about sheltering at home is the ability to virtually barge your way into someone's home via Zoom. As a result, we have been exposed to the living rooms of musicians, news anchors, and friends (from camp, high school, your first job, you name it). I imagine these nice folks giving a ton of thought to the styling of their home "studio," a la the visible pictures, books, or other subtle cues about their life. The truth of the matter is you can avoid all this deliberation if you either don't care or change your background. For all you newbies (yes, I'm talking to you Boomers), all you have to do is go to the Zoom.us Tab and go into your Preferences > Virtual Background and upload either a picture or video. It comes preloaded with San Francisco, a grass field, and space, but maybe you want to be on a beach on an island? If you want to download some pictures for free, you can go to UnSplash.com. Dare to dream!

You don't have to look that hard to see Pink Shoots everywhere. Please consider #WindowsofHope, 200 iPad Minis for Lenox Hill Hospital, and Explore.org Found!