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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.

Thanks to the pandemic (thanks? really?) I reconnected with my 6th grade teacher. Sixth grade for me was a good 30 years ago, so it had been a while. We connected because I "ran into" her son in a zoom meeting with colleagues and made the small-world connection and then he gave me her email. I have no idea how old she was 30 years ago when she was so strict that I remember nothing except never to spell her name incorrectly, but today she is a sweet little older lady. She used to only wear brown and dark green, having had her "colors done" in the 80s as so many women did. Now she wore a soft pink and everything about her seemed softer. Did I shake a bit when she insisted I call her by her first name? Yup! But when she heard about my children's interests, her next question was to ask my address so she could send them books that they would like (and she was spot on - they love the books!). She exuded kindness, sweetness (6th-grade-me can't believe that's the word I just used!), and it was the most beautiful thing to be able to share myself and my family with her and to hear about her family (and to respond as an adult, almost a peer!). I hadn't planned this for the end but as our time was running out I looked directly at the camera and said, THANK YOU. Thank you for being my teacher, for being in my life, for dealing with all of those disruptive 6th graders, and for so passionately caring about hundreds of children over decades of teaching. Whether I'm the only person who thanks her ever (which I doubt) or there's a (zoom) line for miles, I'm so glad I had that opportunity. So thanks, pandemic! For this, I thank you.