We’re over halfway through with 2020. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to breathe a little bit easier knowing, well, hoping, that maybe we’re also over halfway through this pandemic, too. I think the uncertainty is what is scariest when it comes to COVID-19.

As I sat down to write my column this week, I told my mom that I was just feeling “blah” about things. She said, “So, write about that, then.” This year is just that: blah. I’m not really sure how else to describe it.

Like most of you, I’ve spent a lot of time by myself over these last several months. In my office, I get a lot more done when there are little distractions. But, it can get awfully lonely, too. Luckily, I am able to go home to my family each day, but I know that’s not the case for all of you.

As we’re spending time alone, sometimes it can be stressful to even turn on the television. The evening newscasts make me sad, especially as the number of homicides in our area increases day after day. Coupled with the number of cases of COVID-19 on the rise, it seems like a recipe for disaster for our community.

It’s not all been doom and gloom, though. Throughout the last few months, I have seen people come together in ways that have uplifted my own spirit. Through Black Lives Matter, we have witnessed new breakthroughs in equality. I have seen neighbors helping neighbors, whether they’ve placed groceries at doorsteps or helped with lawn care. From honoring our graduating classes to honoring our first responders, our community is strong and loving.

There’s an old quote from Fred Rogers that I found years ago online. It reads: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Mrs. Rogers was right. There are always helpers, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem. We can always find people doing extraordinary things if we open our eyes and seek them out.

I hope that throughout the shut downs, the protests, the pandemic and the uncertainty, you have had some helpers in your own world.