One of my friends tested positive for COVID. She’s okay and recovering at home. We spoke about the stigma of a positive diagnosis. She did everything “right”: limited trips to stores, physical distance, mask wearing. Still, she feels shame. The impact of this pandemic is vast. I have hundreds (thousands) of concerns for humanity. Right now, I’m concerned about the stigma this virus holds. It’s extremely contagious. Some behaviors are indeed reckless. Yet others are not and still lead to someone testing positive.

I’m not advocating that we throw caution to the wind. I’m advocating that we follow CDC recommendations (please!) yet realize we might still get COVID. Our neighbors might get COVID. Our coworkers might get COVID. And what do we do with that information? What judgments form in our head? What barriers form in our heart?

It’s natural for fear to arise during a pandemic. And fear often leads to judgment and blame. Yet compassion is another path. How do we meet each other, in a complex world where we disagree, and still find compassion for ourselves and the other? How do we see beyond judgment and into beautiful, tender, hidden places within someone's heart?

I don’t have answers to these questions. Yet the questions themselves invite a kind, thoughtful inquiry. Curiosity and compassion are balms. (Certainty and hatred are prisons.) I have a post-it note in my office: Am I sure? The question opens space, perspective, kindness, and possibility.