As a Professional Organizer during the Covid-19 pandemic, I shudder to see people overbuying the basics, leaving shelves barren for others.
Where will they store 400 rolls of toilet paper?!?
I have built my career on helping people, believing and teaching that there is enough. We have enough. We are enough. We will always be able to meet our basic needs without overwhelming our homes and our hearts.
Stockpiling excessively comes from a place of fear. It comes from not believing in your capacity to acquire what you need when you need it. (What is happening during the Covid-19 pandemic is not hoarding, which is a brain-based disorder and should not be used in jest).
You know what we need more than a pack of Costco TP? We need to believe we are a part of something bigger than ourselves… bigger than this virus. Which is why I gave away the precious commodity of toilet paper to my neighbors.
Let me explain…
I grew up on a street filled with kids; playing for hours after school and during the summer. We housesat for each other, we hung out in each other’s bedrooms and hot tubs. We went freely to and fro in each other’s backyards (wherever the games would take us!). We could borrow a cup of sugar or a few eggs. They were like an extension of my family. And I loved it.
While you may live in a neighborhood that feels like family, I do not. I have lived in my home for 15 years yet my relationship with my neighbors is mostly limited to a friendly smile and chin nod in recognition of their presence on my street or a lifted hand as I drive past them. My neighborhood now has older folks in it, many are original owners of our 1962 ranch houses. We mostly keep to ourselves, save for the friendly assist in trimming our trees from the man across the street. Many neighbors are live-alone seniors. This makes them part of a high-risk community for contracting this virus.
Yesterday morning, I decided to write a letter to my neighbors. I introduced myself and gave my address. I told them I was in a low-risk group and would like to help them get access to the things they need without putting themselves at risk. I offered to order supplies online for them if they aren’t tech savvy. I offered to *try* to pick up basic necessities while I was out. For non-high-risk neighbors, I offered to go in on deliveries or errands, to minimize exposures.
I rolled the letter up in a roll of TP and set them aside in the garage for future delivery. What’s interesting to me is that I found myself thinking throughout the day “your family might need those rolls!”. I pushed those thoughts away, knowing they come from a place of fear; of not having enough. Of not being enough.
Ultimately, I channeled my inner 12-year old doorbell-ditching self and took my oldest out to deliver the gifts. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I was able to overcome my fear and be an example of #HumanKindness to my impressionable daughter.
I love getting confirmation from God AFTER I have made a leap of faith. It’s almost like He’s asking me to put my trust in His goodness, that He will not let me fall, that He will meet ALL of my needs. This morning during my Bible reading, I came across Proverbs 3:27-28.
There is never a bad time to show up for those that might need something. There is never a bad time to be generous. There is never a bad time to be neighborly.