Results: If You Can't Go Out To The Bar, The Bar Will Come To You

Lots of young adults look forward to celebrating their 21st birthday at a bar with their first legal drink, but as Jack Torchia's big day approached, the William Patterson University student had low expectations. Just like all of us, he was quarantined at home with his parents and younger sister because of the coronavirus pandemic. In a now viral TikTok video posted by Jack's 18-year-old sister, Emily, his mom and dad turned the garage of their New Jersey home into a nightclub. Outside the detached-garage-turned-bar, a sign reads "Must be 21 or older to enter" and dad Anthony serves as a bouncer, asking his son for I.D. and scrutinizing the driver's license with a flashlight. Once inside, mom Carolyn greets her son with a friendly, "Welcome to Club Quarantine!" When Jack tells his "bartender" that it's his 21st birthday, mom agreeably pours him a shot. Don't you love that these parents did this for their son so he could enjoy his 21st birthday like this?

With schools and universities closed and young people everywhere out of their routine, parents and caregivers are trying their best to keep all occupied, engaged and safe. While many schools are accessing online learning, some children do not have access to computers or internet. Some internet providers are giving families free months of internet use, and schools, businesses and private citizens are donating computers and laptops to help out. Many online resources and websites are offering free tutoring services, online education packages and activities to help both parents and children. Have you accessed any of these online resources during this time?

With movie theatres, concert halls, gyms, well, just about any form of entertainment closed, keeping entertained has become a challenge, especially for children. Some parents have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the kids happy and entertained. One mom transforms herself into the "School Lunch Lady" each day to serve her children lunch with a buffet and trays, including a choice of meals. One dad organized the family Olympics to entertain his five children in their backyard, with competitions and award ceremonies at the end of the competition. One family I know is handwriting letters to all the hospitals, grocery stores and pharmacy stores thanking them for being open and continuing to serve the public, which they are mailing out as I write this survey. Have you heard any inspiring ideas for keeping the children engaged and happy during this time?

I have also noticed a rebirth of random acts of kindness, which makes me hopeful that we can get through this together -- by being physically apart. I heard this story of a senior citizen who lives alone, getting a knock on her door and discovering someone had left a basket of groceries and treats for her (no note, no way of knowing who dropped them off) -- I heard this story from her daughter who lives in another city and can't do these things for her mom. I heard about a family living in a basement apartment who are home with their three young children receiving a Play station 4 from Amazon -- again they have no idea who sent it to them, but appreciate it more than anything. This was in our local community paper. People seem to be going out of their way to brighten someone's day and this makes me think of this quote -- Be The Light You Want To See In The World. Do you like this quote (source is unknown)?