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“When shifts and transitions in life shake you to the core, see that as a sign of greatness that’s about to occur.”

I read this quote online some time ago and saved it to my phone. The author was anonymous, but I have never related to something more than these words right now.

Everyone around the world is experiencing some sort of transition. With COVID-19 expelling most of the positivity we had going and altering all of our lives, it’s hard to grasp all this change.

People I know and grew up with have found out they won’t be able to walk down the stage to receive their diplomas at graduation. Mothers and fathers are fearing that their jobs will be put on hold, and their children won’t be able to cheer each other on at their baseball and softball games this spring.

Small business owners have had to cut their staff in half or more and restaurants have had to make the tough choice to either stay open and make sales a different way or close down completely for an unknown amount of time.

Our police officers, nurses, grocery store employees and EMTs willingly put themselves at risk every day to ensure the safety and health of others, perhaps more so now than before. Everyone’s life has changed in some way.

For me, being a news reporter means working hard to find the facts, seek the truth and bring that news to our community. I am working mostly from home right now, but you may still see me out and about grabbing some photos or speaking with members of the community about their experiences since this pandemic entered the world.

I talk to a lot of people on a daily basis that are still figuring out what to do with all this change. Figuring out how to move forward, surrounded by uncertainty.

It’s tough, having life change all of a sudden. I’ve learned change doesn’t really knock on your door before it suddenly appears inside your home, uninvited.

I’ve also learned that change is inevitable. One day you’re walking down the grocery store aisle, waving hello to a neighbor and the next day you see them with a mask covering their mouth, looking down and shopping as fast as they can so that they can get home to safety.

Transitions really can shake you to the core. They’re not easy, most of the time. They can cause fear, pain, anger and a lot of sleepless nights.

But transitions can also be a beautiful thing.

After this virus takes its course and people are back to their “normal” lives, I hope this time of transition makes for a better life for all of us.

I hope baseball games, concerts and movie theatres really do sell out. I hope every restaurant in our area is packed on a nightly basis, with no more reservations available. I hope every single graduation after this has standing ovations for each graduate that walks down that stage.

I hope we take some time to thank our first responders for their continued dedication to serve our country to the fullest degree, no matter what the cost is. And I hope we welcome the little “hellos” from our neighbors and never take for granted the worth of in-class time, surrounded by students, faculty and staff that truly care for the well being of every child.

My hope is that this world is a little more appreciative after this is all over. I hope greatness enters everyone’s life, because I know we are all in this together.

No, this isn’t the most ideal transition for everyone, but it’s what comes next that matters. I look forward to a brighter, better tomorrow and to seeing everyone again soon.

Danielle Puleo is a staff writer for The Coastland Times. Reach her at danielle.puleo@thecoastlandtimes.com.

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