All these things we thought could only be done face to face are now being done online, including our silent meeting for worship (Quakers) and yesterday my violin lesson. The possibility only exists, of course, if you have a solid internet connection and at least a couple of devices so everyone in the household can continue to participate in the world.
This is the new differentiator between the have and have-nots. We knew access to the internet was important but it had never been such a critical factor as it is now: for kids to continue their schooling, for workers to continue in their jobs, for consulting with medical personnel and for information from experts and authorities on what to do and not to do and where to go for assistance.
Sita is now very busy with mutual help efforts to make sure no one is left out or left behind in her local community. She has asked us to do the same in our own community and pointed us to the findhelp.org website that directs people to local organizations and agencies that can assist with needs for food, healthcare consultations, transportation, money, work, etc.
Mutual help societies have always been important aspects of communal life in many African and Asian countries – it is heartening that in this country, known for its rugged individualism, mutual help is now surfacing everywhere. The imagine comes to mind of a small seed pushing its first little tendrils through paved over land – we paved the world over with ‘me and mine’ concerns, that are now beginning to show cracks, as the small green sprouts push upward.
Sylvia's Journal 
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