Part of the global solution

By Jessica Campbell, MS, FNTP

It is with a heavy heart that we have canceled our trip to Vietnam in the wake of COVID-19. Our organizer canceled all events in Vietnam and though our airline will not refund us, we are not going to travel on several long flights across several countries. This is just not the time to add to the problem.

“If you are not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” - Eldridge Cleaver

I’m not worried about catching COVID-19, however, I don’t think I could live with myself if I were a carrier of the virus from a plane to an elderly person who could not fight for their life. Or worse, maybe I carry it back to the medical office I work in, where sick children visit.

The bigger message here is that our planet is sick. We can break it down into single cases, but the problem is thinking we are not ONE. Our planet is an organism like your body. The COVID-19 outbreak may seem like just a few rashes in a few different areas, but these are all connected by the roots. We are overpopulating, overstressing, and overtaxing our planet, and are we all going to be affected by this devastating outbreak in one way or another.

This is the time to become part of the solution. We need to take the spread of the virus seriously, so we can move forward with our lives and not live in fear. The smartest words came from my 10yr old son, who asked, “Mom, if everyone stayed home for 14 days, wouldn’t the virus end?” Smart boy, I wish it could be done.

We’ve decided to stay home from our trip to Vietnam and do our part to stop the spread, stop the fear, and help our community heal. Just think how many of us have the ability to stay home and how we can use this time to benefit our own lives. I bet that many of you are run down, exhausted, and weakening your immune system by the minute. 

Let’s all take a deep breath and spend the next 2 weeks lying low with family, cooking our food at home, playing board games, and building our immune systems to protect us from future viral outbreaks. Let’s not hoard toilet paper or dried pasta, but stay in and cook. Try making healing soups or stews that may otherwise take too much time in your busy life. 

I hope you find the space and time to help us stop the spreading and find some fun projects at home. Let us know your favorite tips to be safe, eat wisely, and be part of the global solution.