After all this is over and things begin to move toward our new normal, there are a few things I hope for:

I hope people are able to treat each other with more kindness.

I hope we can realize that we weren’t the only ones who went through this and that it was impact-full in various ways to everyone.

I hope we can value our free time and me time more.

I hope supporting small businesses becomes a priority for more people.

I hope we tip our wait staff better because living on tips is hard without a global pandemic, let alone after one.

I hope we really hug each other. Not just with our bodies but with our hearts.

I hope we value the time we get to spend in person with each other.

I hope we recognize the effect this pause has had on our environment and treat it better.

I hope we take more time to slow down.

I hope we spend more time looking into each others eye and less time using our eyes to open our phones.

I hope if we’ve found a new skill in this time that we integrate it into our new normal.

I hope we recognize and appreciate the people that keep this country going, regardless of their religion, race, sex or background.

I hope we can see people as just that…people.

I hope we don’t spend our time comparing our “productiveness” and beating ourselves up about it.

I hope social media influencers are no longer a standard for living.

Most of all I hope that we can genuinely come out of this with a different perspective. It doesn’t have to be profound or earth shattering. Things can’t go back to the way they were before so why not take this opportunity to do and be better? Feel better about our lives?

I hope this moment won’t go to waste.