Hospital workers, people connect while social distancing

Mama, we're still in the thick of it. The coronavirus is on all our minds all day long. We're struggling to keep up—with our children, our homes, our families and friends, our finances. Some of us are fortunate enough to be at home, while others are bravely heading into the world to keep this country going. Either way, we're all in this together.

As you can probably imagine, this week's viral stories are all about the coronavirus. But while the issue is incredibly serious, heartbreaking and terrifying, there's light here: These stories show how people are processing and connecting and helping one another during this time. And they give us a tiny bit of hope.

If your children are set to graduate (whether that's from high school, from college or even kindergarten), they're likely mourning their lost ability to enjoy those final days before the next step comes… and they're likely worrying that they won't be able to celebrate graduation in the traditional fashion. Yes, we're dealing with a pandemic here, but 2020 grads have every right to feel sadness over what social distancing has taken from them.

One student drew the most beautiful, heart-wrenching representation of this feeling. A woman named Claire Hibbard shared an image of the illustration, which she says was done by a high school senior. The drawing features a graduate wearing a face mask along with her gap… and there are tears in her eyes. It's incredibly powerful, and it's a powerful reminder that those children who are robbed of the graduation experience are going through something really tough right now.

Healthcare workers are carrying an enormous load right now. They're undoubtedly exhausted in every sense—physically, mentally, emotionally. And they deserve something that'll make their lives a bit easier at this time.

That's why we love what Allbirds is doing. The company known for creating incredibly comfortable shoes will donate a pair of wool sneakers to hospital employees. The gesture alone is lovely—those courageous healthcare workers deserve a token of appreciation, after all—but this gift goes beyond that. Hospital employees are likely on their feet and overworked to the brim right now, and by sending them a pair of shoes that'll give them some measure of comfort as they work through this crisis, the company is truly doing something that can help those who are fighting this war.

Healthcare workers have so much on their plates right now… but the fact is, they probably don't have enough time to squeeze in meals during their work hours. Luckily, Girls Scouts are setting up digital cookie booths to provide hospital employees free cookies. And let's face it: Cookies won't fix what's going on right now, but they can certainly put a smile on someone's face right now, and we can't underestimate the value of that.

Three Girl Scouts (who also happen to be sisters) came up with this concept: Sylvie, Julia and Piper, along with their mom, knew they needed to come up with another solution to their usual cookie stands as the coronavirus began spreading.

The girls are encouraging people to send donations via PayPal—they'll use those funds to donate cookies to doctors and nurses who are fighting this pandemic.

With schools shut down, parents are finally realizing the immense challenge teachers face every day. It is incredibly tough to handle closures and home school our children… but what we have to realize is, it's equally tough for those teachers to be without their beloved students.

A Facebook post shows video of teachers driving through a neighborhood as their elementary school students waved from a distance. All the feels.

The video is incredible touching: It shows how excited the teachers are as they wave to the kids, who are obviously equally thrilled to see their teachers. Doesn't this warm your heart, mama? It's a powerful reminder that we send our kids to school, they're still spending time with people who love them.

One of the toughest parts of social distancing is staying away from family members, especially for those of us who have aging parents who are considering high-risk where this pandemic is concerned. But can you imagine your parents not being able to meet your newborn baby? The thought is gut-wrenching. But one new father named Míchéal Gallachoir found a touching way to introduce his new son to his own dad… and the photo of the interaction is so beautiful.

Míchéal's sister, Emma, shared the photo on her Twitter account. "Three generations of social distancing as my dad meets his grandson for the first time," she wrote alongside the sweet image.

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