Coronavirus quarantine has brought new meaning to concepts of love, justice, humility

I just learned a lot from one of the best birthdays I have ever had. No cake? No party? No family dinner? No problem! What I had was love, lots of love. And gratitude for that love and all my blessings. Clarity was much crisper during our corona crisis quarantine, and perhaps even because of it.

My day started with coffee, and a morning run and quick shower before court. Yes, we had court, via Zoom. Justice marches on, thanks to technology and the human spirit. Then there were a couple of phone conferences and other work— combined this “work” helps contribute to my PURPOSE in life, for which I am most grateful. I work from my home office anyway, so this is no change from before our Healthy at Home practice.

Interspersed were “Happy Birthday” calls from family, and breaks to check emails, news, and LinkedIn and Facebook, where oodles of birthday greetings poured in. So many of you wished me well that it touched my heart and lifted my soul.

I went out for a drive and a walk, then came home for a little more work, when I found a big beautifully wrapped present on my porch, a surprise gift from my brother! I brought it in and beheld it, along with the unopened box I received a couple of days earlier that I knew was from my sister. Later, she brought me a kale quinoa blackened salmon salad from Malones, a birthday card AND balloons! She parked in my driveway and handed the items to me as we kept our distance. No hugs or kisses, but really, who needed them? In its place was a spirit of love felt all the more strongly in the absence of traditional shows of affection.

After eating my dinner, I opened my presents, took pictures of the balloons, the gifts and texted them to my family. It was grand!

I then spent the rest of the night answering every Facebook and LinkedIn birthday greeting I received. My fingers got a little tired, but it was such a joy. Friends old and new wished me well. Liberals, conservatives, black, white, near, far, religious, secular—all with different veneers but all with the same ONE LOVE, identical in feeling and force.

Our lives are nothing if not to build. And only love builds. Only love creates. Love, and for me at least, faith in a higher power. Love + faith = joy, courage, hope, confidence, and clarity. True faith means that we rest easy knowing our higher power is in control, no matter what. No matter who is president, no matter what little microbe menace inconveniences us, no matter what: God is in control and it all works to the good in the end.

But we also have a duty to truth and justice. This inevitably causes conflict with those of a different eye. Humility is key—for me and for you. Humility heals. Humility pushes us to reconsider, to ask if our understanding is correct, and if not, to learn and accept a more accurate state of reality.

And so I pray for the highest truth, and for the ready willingness to reject previous misperceptions, and for the courage to BUILD on that truth. And I also pray for a winning way, to be less alienating and more effective. Remembering the spirit of love from this birthday and Easter will help.

Truly, only LOVE creates.

Richard Dawahare is a Lexington attorney.