Tag: Coronavirus

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baby children cartoons motivation

How Fast Are You Going?

Cartoon of a baby in a walker and a police officer

Because I work for an essential business, I continue to drive to work. One of the things I’ve noticed on my short commute to work is that the speeders have much more leeway as they careen about trucks and cars on the freeway. The traffic is somewhat lighter and those who love to speed have taken advantage of it.

It can’t be because they are late for an appointment. It probably isn’t because they were previously stuck in a traffic jam. It is a habit and they aren’t likely to change it unless the Highway Patrol pulls them over. It feels very strange to witness this when much of the world has been slowing down for the last month. Some people are just addicted to life in the fast lane.

How is your speed these days?

  • Do you feel like the world has slowed down for you?
  • Do you feel anxious because you relied on an adrenaline rush and this is a time of waiting?
  • Are you chomping at the bit and ready to get back to life in the fast lane?

If so, consider that this is a good time for preparation. This may be a good time for deep work, for goal setting or to learn a new skill. Things will get back to the fast lane. What does this slower, waiting pace enable you today?

Cartoon of a baby in a walker and a police officer
Categories
motivation

True Friends During Social Distancing

Cartoon of two girls. One says, "Only a true friends would let you know you have a duck on your head."

One benefit of this time of quarantine and social distancing is that it is just as easy to keep in touch with friends in other parts of the world as it is the ones that live close by. I have learned to use Skype and Zoom for personal conversations as well as for business. It’s given me a new sense of what technology can do to bring us all closer together.

True friends are not just the ones in our own backyard, though it is good to check in with the neighbors. True friends will have your back while they whisper to you that your shirt needs tucked in back there! They are the ones who will have the courage to tell you that you’re wrong but do it in a kind, respectful way.

We need our true friends more than ever during a crisis. It’s been good for me to reach out to them through texting, calling, and seeing their activity on social media. Yes, there have been some positives through this crisis. Let’s keep in touch with our friends and let them know when they are experiencing such faux pas as wearing a duck during the Zoom call.

Cartoon of two girls. One says, "Only a true friends would let you know you have a duck on your head."

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Easter holiday

Easter 2020: A Resurrection Sunday Like No Other

Cartoon of a boy talking to the Easter Bunny. He says, "Do YOU count all your chickens before they hatch?"

I feel sorry for the Mall Easter Bunnies this year. They rarely get the respect a Mall Santa gets. And just when people began thinking about the holiday, all the malls were closed. Perhaps that’s why this cartoon rang true for me this year. Mr. Easter Bunny, don’t count all your eggs before they hatch!

It’s safe to say nearly all of us have had to change our plans this year.

  • Retail sales have had to pivot to online sales
  • Businesses have had to figure out if they were essential or not
  • Parents have been forced to realize how challenging homeschooling can be
  • Pets have had to deal with having no “me time”
  • Churches that weren’t streaming services online had to learn fast

My wife and I will be attending an online Easter service. For a couple that has served and worked at churches nearly every Sunday for over thirty years, this has been an adjustment. The method has changed, but the message has not.

  • It is a message of hope
  • It is a message of glorious light after a pitch-black midnight
  • It is message that resurrects the dead
  • It is a message that trumps Mall Bunnies and Santas

They said unto them, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.”

Luke 24: 5-6 (KJV)

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday, everyone!

Cartoon of a boy talking to the Easter Bunny. He says, "Do YOU count all your chickens before they hatch?"
Categories
pet cartoons

Are Your Pets Stir Crazy Too?

Cartoon of a boy and a dog. The boy says, "Look at it this way. It takes a strong dog to admit the cat rules the house."

When I drew this, we had a dog and a cat that didn’t always get along. They had a nervous pact that sometimes degenerated into a brawl. But the cat was there first. The cat ruled the roost and the dog knew it. She wasn’t the least bit happy about it, but she knew our kitty was the alpha male.

At least the dog would have relished our walks. I have seen so many people walking their dogs these days. People are reconnecting with their canines and that is a good thing. It’s some good exercise for the puppies as well as their owners.

So how are your pets faring in the middle of the COVID-19 stay-at-home party? Are they bringing you some peace or are they getting a little stir crazy as well?

Cartoon of a boy and a dog. The boy says, "Look at it this way. It takes a strong dog to admit the cat rules the house."
Categories
motivation

Insurance and Assurances

Cartoon of a boy in bed. He says to his mom, "But if we have health insurance, why didn't it keep me from getting sick?"

It’s been a difficult week for the United States and the world. Some have insurance. Few have assurances when people will get to go out again and mingle. It is a tough time for parents who have to juggle the normal challenges of raising a family with a pandemic and a little cabin fever thrown in for good measure.

This morning, I hear birds singing outside my window. They don’t have a clue all the stress humans are experiencing right now. They are carrying on with their spring rituals. They are finding food and building nests in anticipation of the little ones.

There have never been full assurances that life would be the same as it ever was. Things have changed this year, and there will be more changes. But life will go on. There will still be joyous times even in the midst of the challenges. There will be choirs singing, kids playing sports and joyful reunions someday soon. Just hang on today while we negotiate social distancing and how our health insurance plans actually work. We can do this together!

Cartoon of a boy in bed. He says to his mom, "But if we have health insurance, why didn't it keep me from getting sick?"