What you can do to spread joy not coronavirus

The Coronavirus pandemic has become all-encompassing and even though the majority of people have only yet felt it through the sudden and frustrating lack of basic supplies at the store, the stress is apparent. Worry and stress, however, serve no useful purpose, even in times of crisis and there is always an opportunity to find joy in our days. Joy, in my opinion, can come from helping others who may have far less in their lives to find it themselves. Here are a few ideas on what we can do to start anew, bring joy to others and have some fun during this uncertain time.

Handmade Soap: Until you experience the pure and satisfying feel of natural soap on your skin, you may think paying $4.00 to $10.00 or more on a single bar is ridiculous. But I promise it is worth it. Handmade soap comes in two forms, melt and pour and hot/cold processing. While melt and pour methods are easy and often fun options, I prefer the natural process of hot/cold processing! To make this kind of soap you mix a fat or oil with lye water and the chemical process creates natural soap. The benefits are a lack of harsh chemicals and skin-drying detergents and they typically come infused with deeply satisfying scents, natural colors and exfoliants.

What is even better is if you open Etsy and search for ‘handmade soap’ you will be invigorated by the rush of colors, exotic scents and creative concoctions flooding your screen. Each store is typically run by a small business or even a single person who hand-makes each batch, cuts each bar and adds their own unique touch. One bar will last longer than a box of the cheap stuff at the store and you get to help a small business in a very difficult time. I highly recommend!

Charity: You may not know this, but a small group of women in Ohio spend their free time sewing away, making beautiful turbans and face masks for women fighting cancer. The group is called The Turban Project, and they are doing truly good work. Today, of course, the biggest concern for many elderly people, people with small children or people with compromised immune systems is getting through their normal routine safely. While cloth masks are not rated for disease prevention, they do offer some protections, per the CDC.

These handmade masks are colorful, fun and help those who are vulnerable feel empowered and even beautiful. Many of our country’s most dedicated volunteers to the needy are retired and they should protect themselves as much as possible. It is an act of love and may be the very best thing to get your out of a funk by donating to the cause!

Speaking of the elderly and the disabled, many can feel isolated and often rely on others to help them get the supplies they need. It can be easy for them to be forgotten when panic sets in and the general population is scrambling for supplies. One way to help is to use facebook groups to organize check-ins for local people who might need a little help. Churches, synagogues and other elder-support groups could certainly use the support! Check in with your local church to see if they have a list of older people and reach out to them as a digital wellness check!

Of course, wellness checks are a bit different today but as SeniorAdvisor.com suggests in their guide, 5 Ways Seniors Can Have Food Delivered to Their Door, a group of volunteers could easily organize food delivery donations in the coming weeks. Food delivery can be groceries, meal kits or prepared food deliveries from local restaurants. While you’re at it, why not send flowers too, just to keep spirits high! Food banks around the country are struggling to keep their shelves stocked. But as nationally syndicated conservative radio host Jesse Kelly championed after the 2017 Houston hurricane, online ordering and delivery can be a life-saving act of kindness for these organizations.

Finally, if you’re low on toilet paper and feeling down, there are some creative ways to feel fragile and be a savvy apocalypse survivor! One of the best resources for what to do in this exact situation is a wonderfully innovative website called, Homestead Survival Site. Of course, we didn’t all used to have fancy, soft and readily available toilet paper, so did you know a sponge on a stick was a popular option? Well if you explore the website’s Off Grid Living: 15 Toilet Paper Alternatives guide, you might be surprised by your options!

This will all pass, and in the meantime the best we can do is care for ourselves, our families and help our communities as much as possible. Take time to read some new and empowering conservative literature like Dana Loesch’s Grace Canceled: How Outrage is Destroying Lives, Ending Debate, and Endangering Democracy or the brilliant Liz Wheeler’s Tipping Points: How to Topple the Left's House of Cards, send out a nice fruit basket and cut up a few old flannel shirts, just in case, and remember we are all in this together.