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We live in strange times in everyday life has become a difficult. COVID-19 has revealed the of the underbelly of a lot of things in our society, but the pandemic has also shown just how wonderful people can be. If you need a reminder of the good in the world, check out my new column for HealthCentral:

“When things go sideways on a large scale in movies and books, there’s rioting, selfishness, and mayhem. It’s such an ingrained part of our entertainment mindset that we can’t be blamed for expecting the worst when the COVID-19 pandemic took off. But instead of a global reenactment of “Lord of the Flies,” something entirely different happened. Most of us found ways of banding together while staying apart, making a concerted effort to reach out and make this modern plaguetime a little easier for each other. Although the hard times are far from over (especially for those of us who are high risk due to rheumatoid arthritis and other types of chronic illness), these moments of love have been a big part of what’s helping me to cope. While we’re on the other side of the initial insanity, we really have to acknowledge that this is our new normal. Looking back on the last six months, I’m so hopeful about what’s to come. Here are some of the highlights that have helped me.

Before flour went AWOL and rolls of toilet paper became as precious as rubies, the first items to go were medical supplies. Masks, gloves, and alcohol swabs were nowhere to be found. We panicked, all of us, and the urge to protect ourselves and our families made it hard to think rationally. That left a lot of people with chronic illness without the supplies they use in their daily lives to safely self-inject medication and prevent infection.

Then something wonderful happened. In early March, Anna Legassie, 36, from Boston, shared her frustration about not being able to find the supplies she needed on her Instagram account and others responded with similar problems. And then, people started sharing. “Even patients facing supply shortages were quick to offer up items in their reserve to others,” Anna recounted in an email interview. “I worked to connect people willing to share supplies with those in need and arranged for things like hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, alcohol prep pads, and masks to be sent directly from one patient to another and reimbursing shipping costs when needed.” The generosity of the chronic illness community enabled a lot of anxious people to continue taking their medication and stay safe during those early days of the pandemic.”

Read my full column about COVID-19 and the kindness of strangers on HealthCentral.