Today, pray for those struggling during these scary times. Restaurants are grappling with all these empty tables and may shut down - go over to one and eat today and tip your waiter double what you normally tip. Now, eating a nice yummy meal can be an incredible act of charity. That extra $5 you tip can help someone stressed out over paying their rent.
If you’re stocking up on groceries and supplies - instead of going to the big box stores like Wal-Mart, Costco and Whole Foods - go to the mom and pop shop in your neighborhood to get your stuff. You may spend a few extra dollars on what you buy, but those extra few dollars will help these small business owners keep their lights on and support their families.
Speaking of supplies, look in your closet and ask yourself DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT MANY HAND SANITIZER BOTTLES, CHLOROX WIPES AND TOILET PAPER? Reach out to your local domestic violence shelter, food pantry and homeless shelters and see if you can hook them up with your surplus stuff.
Thank and pray for EVERY SERVICE WORKER that is still out here working at stores, driving your Ubers/Lyfts, bringing you food, mopping floors and doing so much work out here that you don’t even realize. Be generous with how you thank them - slide a few extra bucks their way to show them you’re thinking of them. You have the comfort of working from home in your pajamas, but millions of others in this country don’t have the luxury of doing so.
Finally, pray for all the medical professionals on the front lines literally risking their lives to make sure our lives are safe and healthy.
These are scary times we are living in and we are all impacted by it. But realize this crisis affects us disproportionally. Not to trivialize your own struggles, but if your biggest worry right now is working from home, YOURE FINE. You still have a steady salary and access to resources. Use your privilege to help others that are really stressed out on how on earth they’re even going to make it through this crisis.
Nobody really knows what the next few weeks, let alone next few days, will pan out to be. But what’s going to help us get through it is if we take the time to be a little more compassionate towards others. You are all my sisters. My brothers. My sons. My daughters. My fellow humans. And I will do whatever I can to look out for you and protect you.
-Aman Ali
Aameen!
