When I think about our current situation, the one word that comes to mind is fear. I fear that I or one of my family members will contract COVID-19, that I won’t go back to school this year and see my senior friends again, that I will lose all of my knowledge and fail my AP exams, that life will never be the same again.

Our news platforms are filled with the latest information about the crisis, from the rising infection rates to stories about people ignoring social distancing mandates. With the number of deaths rising and no end in sight, the situation can feel disheartening.

With minimal answers from health professionals and district officials alike about what the future holds, it feels like there is nothing to assuage these fears. It feels as though we are stuck in a loop, repeating the same day over and over and over again. It feels as though this crisis will never end. 

And of course the situation, the pandemic, COVID-19 must consume our lives, at least to an extent. After all, it has shuttered our schools, businesses, and essentially our social lives. We commend the essential workers, such as medical professionals and grocery store employees, but the majority of us are stuck at home. If we do not practice social-distancing, wash our hands after touching anything potentially contaminated, or obey other public health regulations from the government, we put everyone around us at risk and threaten to spread the virus. In short, the situation is terrifying and all-consuming.

Caught up in the fear, we easily forget that no matter how bad things seem now, no matter how overwhelming or scary, the threat of COVID-19 won’t last forever. Each day that passes is another day that we have survived. Each day is one day closer to a scientist developing a potential vaccine. Each day is another day closer to the end of this crisis.

We can choose to let our fear and unease and anxiety control our lives or we can let it be something that exists but which does not control us. It’s as simple as living one day at a time, taking those necessary health precautions, but choosing to let the little things like the smell of coffee or breeze through the trees matter more. We have the time now to do this, to stop and smell the roses, to feel the sunlight kiss our face, to dance in the kitchen listening to your favorite song.

Even in the midst of the storm, six feet apart, we have already seen the power of togetherness and human connection. Citizens around the world stand on their balconies every night and cheer for healthcare workers. People buy groceries for their elderly neighbors who cannot risk going outside. Brewing companies, such as Cutwater Spirits in San Diego, have converted their beverage formulas to hand sanitizer. Children write words of hope on their sidewalks in chalk. 

Yes, our world is changing. Yes, we do not yet know what the lasting impacts of this crisis will be. 

But, despite the virus, humanity has not been diminished. We are, in fact, seeing a lot of good in the people around us.