COVID-19: Five Lessons From an Epidemic
I’ve been through the typical ups and downs of life that we all experience. I’ve failed a course, been fired multiple times, been divorced, and lost at virtually every athletic endeavor possible. In short, I’ve screwed up a lot. But although I’ve failed often, I’ve learned that with each failure comes a lesson. And if I pay attention to those lessons, I can avoid repeating the same mistakes—while finding entirely new ones to make.
With COVID-19, I know I made mistakes, too. And from them, I’ve taken away a few lessons I want to pass on to you, my children.
1. Prepare for the unexpected
You’d think that, living on the water in a hurricane zone, preparation for disaster would have become second nature. It wasn’t. We scrambled at first to catch up on staples and medical supplies, and we weren’t ready for a two-week-plus quarantine. Going forward, I don’t plan to hoard or overbuy, but I do plan to always keep at least two weeks’ worth of essentials on hand—year-round, not just during hurricane season.
2. Limit news consumption
I’m a news junkie. I like hearing all sides, from the most conservative to the most liberal. But when crisis turns into a 24/7, multi-week event, it’s no longer news—it’s noise. The overload breeds panic. Cable news makes us anxious, and the internet makes us irrational. Remember the toilet paper hoarding? Or people eating fish tank cleaner? That’s what happens when rumor spreads unchecked. My advice: no more than two hours of news updates a day, even in the worst crisis. More than that, and fear is all that’s left.
3. When you don’t know what to do, help someone
This has been one of my life’s mantras and something I’ve tried to teach you since you were small. In a crisis, our instinct is to turn inward and worry about our own security. But that inward focus only tightens the knot of fear around our hearts. The antidote is kindness. Helping a housebound neighbor, calling someone who feels alone, or simply being kinder in everyday exchanges—these are the things that break the grip of fear. Even in a “shelter in place” world, technology gives us ways to connect. Kindness is more contagious than COVID-19. Spread it.
4. Don’t let stress turn you into an asshole
As days stretch into weeks and months, it’s easy to let stress twist us into the worst version of ourselves. We become short with the people we love, or dismissive of those reaching out. It’s human nature, but it’s also the ugliest part of being human. I remind myself that I’m dealing with people I love and care about, and that arguments born of stress hurt them most of all. Yes, you’re stressed—but “suck it up, buttercup.” Put on a kind face for the people who matter. At least once a day during this pandemic, I’ve caught myself slipping into asshole mode. It’s a constant battle, but one worth fighting.
5. Sweat the small stuff
There’s a saying: “Don’t sweat the small stuff—and it’s all small stuff.” I disagree. In a crisis, the small stuff is what matters most. The board game you pull out and play with your kids. The “good” bottle of wine you open at dinner to toast your spouse. The extra hug, the extra kiss goodnight. It isn’t the big things that carry us through; those tend to sort themselves out. It’s the little things—the gestures of love and connection—that help us not only survive but thrive.
Kids, this will end. And another crisis will come along—it always does. When it does, remember two things from your dad:
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You will get through this.
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You are loved.
That’s all you really need to know.
Love,
Dad