As we enter May, this will now be the third full month following President Trump’s proclamation that the COVID-19 virus constitutes a state of emergency. Since the proclamation, our community has faced many challenges, most of which trouble our entire nation and are not unique to our city.
Within Naperville, nearly 150,000 citizens are trapped within their homes, scared for both their livelihoods and their loved ones. With all this chaos and fear, I believe it is important to start considering what good may come out of this alarming situation.
I personally have had the privilege to share my home with my entire immediate family for the first time in almost seven years. This is an opportunity for my family and me, all eight of us, to enjoy each other’s company. It has been one small way that I have grown to find happiness in a difficult situation.
The entire world is so shrouded in fear that we have failed to notice spectacular events and wonders all around us. Across the globe in India, the peaks of the Himalayan mountains have slowly become visible due to a decrease in air pollution. For the first time in decades, the peaks will be visible to both the young and the old to take in and enjoy.
In Venice, Italy, the city has welcomed dolphins into the canals due to a decrease in boat traffic and residue in the water.
And lastly, just in our own neighborhoods, families are re-connecting and slowing down to spend time with one another.
The Coronavirus is frightening, and we all want this pandemic to end, but while we wait for it all to blow over, we might as well enjoy the small wonders happening every day.
Editor’s Note: Teen PN columnist comes from talented musical family
Recently, Otto Ives beat the drums to a few neighbors with news that the Ives family would display their musical talent with classics and cover songs, producing fond memories of oldies when they set up their family band to perform early in May. Billed as “a social distancing and B.Y.O.M. (Bring Your Own Mask) sort of event,” their exceptional music resonated throughout their cul-de-sac for about an hour.
