There’s a mindfulness exercise in which you reflect on all of the people who played a part in making something simple in your day happen.

If you’re having a cup of coffee, for example, you can reflect with gratitude on all of the people involved at each stage of its production.

There’s a lot of value in that exercise at the best of times, but it’s vital right now. Not only is it important to maintain our sense of connection with people, but it’s important to recognize that many of us are able to stay home because the rest of us are going out to work.

We know that COVID-19
Is spreading most heavily in workplaces. In Ontario, we know that our province isn’t doing what it should be to address that.

Which means we know that the people who enable us to stay home by going to work are putting themselves at risk in ways we aren’t.

It easier than ever not to think about the people involved in the journey made by everything you buy when it all just shows up at your door. Which means it’s more important than ever to think consciously about those people, what we owe them, and how we can help.

We can tip well. We can support businesses who look out for their employees and customers, and avoid the businesses that don’t.

More importantly, we can advocate for policies and protections that make an impact far beyond just the businesses we patronize.

It rings hollow to say that we’re all in this together, but it’s true that we don’t get out of it until we all get out of it. And to do that, we have to look out for the people who are way more “in it” than we are. Which happens to be the right thing to do anyway.