A little more than a week ago, I wrote about a nightmare I had about the coronavirus. I shared the worry and responsibility of trying to keep family members and friends safe. I talked about how I was doing all of the things – hand washing, social distancing, staying home – but continued to stress about all of the uncertainties. This is a confusing, sometimes lonely, and terrifying time.

I concluded that piece by sharing a strategy that helped me feel more settled, comforted and in control.

Believe it or not, if I assess how I am feeling in this moment, right now, I would describe myself as fairly calm. Pretty unbelievable, right?

Ten days ago, the preceding self-assessment probably made sense to you. She’s feeling OK because she owned her fears and then wrote about them. But how can she feel anything but scared today? After all, the nightmare from late March has grown into a bigger nightmare in early April. How is it possible to appear so serene when today’s reality is exponentially worse?

The number of positive tests and deaths continues to rise and the news cycle is all Covid-19, all of the time. The CDC recently recommended that we wear masks when we’re in public. A few states have eliminated the possibility of returning to school this year. And most governors have extended their stay-at-home orders. Medical professionals are documenting the horrific conditions they face battling Covid-19 and are begging the public to stay home. I could go on and on.

A look at the headlines on April 5, is enough to make anyone shudder.

“U.S. Death Toll Almost Certainly Higher than Official Count” – The Washington Post

“U.S. Coronavirus Fight Enters Crucial Weeks as the Number of Cases Tops 320,000” – CNN

“Coronavirus Kills Some People and Hardly Affects Others: How is that Possible?” – Los Angeles Times

“Food Goes to Waste Amid Coronavirus Crisis” – Politico

“The Nurse was Holding Up. Then Her Three Close Relatives Came In.” – The New York Times

I think it’s important to stay on top of the latest news and the most recent directives from local and federal government and medical experts. At the same time, I don’t think it’s a great choice, where peace of mind is concerned, to fixate on any of the preceding.

So, in addition to writing as therapy, I decided to focus my attention on any kind of media that exudes positivity. I want the stuff that chronicles happier goings-on – the videos, still photos, music, the written word. I need to hear the tales that uplift, pump up and cheer on. I want to find the narratives that we can feel good about and that won’t give us nightmares. I don’t want a fairytale. And I don’t want the silly memes that make us laugh for a moment, and then feel guilty because what we’re laughing about somehow tears someone else down. I want good news. Tell me something good!

The quest for positivity didn’t require a lot of time. After a few conversations with family and friends and a quick scroll through social media, while skipping the rants about politics, education and people who aren’t social distancing, I discovered four solid examples of encouraging narratives. Tell me what you think.

My initial inquiry (which in full disclosure wasn’t an inquiry at all – I received a text message from one of my niece’s with a link to the program I’m about to tout) brought me to a YouTube channel dedicated entirely to ray of sunshine themes. “Some Good News,” the creation of John Krasinski (“The Office,” “Jack Ryan, “A Quiet Place”), is dedicated to heartwarming, inspiring, and uplifting stories from around the world. The almost 16-minute first episode garnered roughly 12.5 million views. Check it out here if you need a pick me up. Fans of “The Office” will be excited to see a nod to the 15th anniversary of the NBC sitcom featuring an interview with Steve Carell. Episode 2, just might  outperform Episode 1 as far as giving you all the feels. I won’t spoil it for you. Just trust me, click here.

Facebook devotees can find a reserve of cheerful postings on the page of the public group, Heart Hunters. Created in response to the pandemic and the call for social distancing, Heart Hunters was launched by a mom in Galesburg, Illinois, who wanted to highlight those spreading “a little love and compassion” during a very challenging time. She heard about people posting hearts in windows for kids to see while they were out walking and with that, Heart Hunters was born.

The group encourages people to post hearts on their windows, doors and sidewalks and to keep an eye out for hearts. Whether you’re creating hearts or looking for them, the group urges participants to snap pictures and forward to the group. “Make sure you share your pictures. Some can’t get out so these little hearts are very comforting.”

The proof of whether or not these hearts provide comfort can be found in the posts. One member wrote, “My daughter is an ER nurse in downtown Chicago. Hospital staff got a round of applause when leaving last night 😍 and the city is showing the love for their healthcare and essential workers with all the window hearts.” She included five pictures of Chicago highrises, lit up with hearts. Her post was shared 3,600 times.

A gentleman from Germany shared a picture of a colorfully chalked heart on his driveway. “Greetings from Germany! Please stay healthy!” he posted. His contribution was shared 15,000 times.

Heart Hunters was established on March 21 and has already grown to 748,000 members. All of the activity on this group’s page, demonstrated by the number of shares, likes, comments and new members, speaks volumes. Bottom line, these messages from the heart resonate with a lot of folks.

If you prefer more mainstream media to get your joy on, you can always turn to “On the Road with Steve Hartman.” Modeled after the long-running, legendary series of the same name, originally reported by one of America’s greatest TV storytellers, the late newsman Charles Kuralt, “On the Road,” is guaranteed to renew your faith in the kindness of others and the good in this world.

Steve’s latest installment, “Finding Love in the Age of Social Distancing,” tells a story of hope, romance, ingenuity and perseverance. Please click on the link. The two minutes you’ll spend watching Steve spin this yarn will leave you smiling for hours.

The fourth place that I found to be a tremendous resource for optimism is not actually a

place, it’s a person. Her name is Amy Pryor Senter. Amy is the owner of Jake’s On Main Street, located in the heart of the historic district in St. Charles, MO.

Jake’s is a Life is good® Genuine Neighborhood Shoppe. Boasting good vibes, a friendly atmosphere and awesome customer service, Jake’s is a popular stopping place for those who are looking for optimistic apparel and accessories. The store has a variety of comfy and upbeat items for men, women, home and canine.

If you’re not familiar with the Life is good® brand, you can check it out here.

Besides selling positive-themed merchandise, Jake’s helps kids in need as a supporter of the Life is good Kids Foundation. The Life is good Kids Foundation is a nonprofit organization established by Life is good to raise money to help kids in need. The Life is good Kids Foundation directly funds the Life is good Playmakers Program, which provides training and support to childcare professionals, who use their learning to ensure that children grow up feeling safe, loved and joyful.

Life is good donates 10 percent of its net profits to help kids in need. The “10% for Kids” program began on Jan. 1, 2013. Since this program’s inception, Life is good has helped raise more than $9.5 million for kids in need through its annual Life is good Festival, Life is good products and community fundraising events.

So much encouragement in all of that, right? And I haven’t even scratched the surface with all that’s good with Amy!

Part of Jake’s team since its founding in 2007, Amy eventually bought the business in 2016. While Amy’s resume is long and varied, and includes a stint in education, her passion for Jake’s optimistic focus served as the tipping point for her decision to buy the business.

Excited to share this positive perspective, Amy works tirelessly to ensure that visitors at Jake’s can feel the uplifting energy as soon as they step through the doors. Surrounded by products featuring cute images and verbiage, customers are greeted by a team of employees whose focus is simply to brighten their day.

In spite of her propensity to focus on the bright side, Amy admitted her outlook waivered  momentarily when the coronavius began to spread in the U.S., prompting her heart-wrenching decision to close the doors to Jake’s.

“I had my little breakdown,” the good-natured wife and mom shared, as her usual litany of cheerful thoughts were undercut by a gloomy sense of uncertainty. What would happen to her two children? What would happen to the rest of her family? What is happening to the world? Will we be OK?

After giving herself a few moments of grace to experience the confusion, apprehension and uneasiness, that come with facing a pandemic, Amy quickly launched into motion. Her first act was creating the Jake’s On Main Positivity Facebook page.

The mission of this Facebook page is simple: to keep positivity at the forefront during the current health and economic crisis while also giving Amy a place to promote her business. Scroll through the feed and on any given day you can count on a “Seeing the Beauty” post, an inspirational thought of the day and some kind of update about store merchandise including Jake’s Closet (explained later).

Jake’s On Main Positivity page offers Amy a hopeful outlet and a way of centering herself. “When I focus on the positive, I become positive,” she said, adding, “A lot of people need that positivity right now.” The Facebook page also provides Amy with a means of keeping her business’s name in the forefront. “It’s a family business and I need to do whatever I can to keep it going,” Amy said.

Amy contracts with Life is good to carry the company’s products, but Jake’s On Main is an independent store. Consequently, the expenses that come with operating the business are completely Amy’s. “I’ve had to buy everything in my store. So this right now is hitting me really hard,” Amy shared.

While Jake’s may be closed to walk-in traffic, the store is still “open.” Amy works hard to market her goods on the Positivity page. There are lots of pictures of the popular products and a there is a video tour of the store. Those interested in purchasing merchandise from Jake’s can connect with Amy by posting in the comments on the Positivity page or reaching out to her via Facebook Messenger. Those who don’t have Facebook can reach Amy by email at jakeslockerllc@gmail.com.

Grateful for the work involved in maintaining the Positivity Page, Amy commented, “It has given me purpose every day and it allows me to focus on things that are good.” She quickly added, “Hopefully it’s bringing a little bit of joy to those who need it.”

Engineering a vehicle for her followers to spread a little merriment of their own, a few days after creating the Facebook page, Amy rolled out Jake’s Closet. Jake’s Closet is Amy’s pledge to help people in need in a safe way during this time of social distancing. Through this initiative, individuals can purchase Amy’s unused inventory at cost and it’s placed in Jake’s Closet. Amy eventually will deliver items in Jake’s Closet to local area nonprofits. Amy frequently shares pictures of Jake’s Closet and applauds the “superheroes” who contribute to this effort.

“There are many organizations that can only take new clothing or prefer to only take new clothing, especially socks. Here’s a way we can help,” Amy explained. Three of Amy’s favorite organizations to donate to are St. Louis Crisis Nursery, Youth in Need and Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service. These organizations may be gifted with some of the items in Jake’s Closet, but Amy said she is open to adding other organizations based on customers’ suggestions.

Jake’s Closet has already collected over 100 pairs of socks (that was the count almost two weeks ago). Generous customers have purchased a variety of other items to be boxed and gifted soon.

Always trying to find ways to do more, Amy recently asked Positivity page members to nominate healthcare workers on the front line of the crisis to receive Jake’s On Main Street swag as a thank you. Amy randomly selected five local heroes from all those nominated and put together a special gift box/care package she deemed the Hero Pack to celebrate their service.

Amy made it possible for individuals to continue to honor their heroes. The Hero Pack is available for purchase at the Main Street business. Interested parties can reach out to Amy to purchase a pack and then choose to collect it through curbside pick-up on weekdays, free porch drop off or customers can pay to have the Hero Pack shipped.

With over 1,100 members in this private group page, Amy is energized by the interactions and activity. “I enjoy seeing the posts from people who appreciate what I’m doing. I posted a video from the Life is good Kids Foundation and someone posted back, ‘This is inspiring and helped me get through the day,'” Amy said. The community’s support has been humbling, she added.

Seeing the positive in the world takes effort, Amy asserted. “It’s not that you shouldn’t be aware of what’s going on and be careful, but when you focus on the negative, you become a negative person.” And that’s one of the many reasons Amy does everything she can to see the good.

It’s not always easy, she admitted. “Keeping positivity at the forefront during a crisis can be tough, but I’m trying,” she concluded.

Me too, Amy. Me too.

(Thank you Amy Pryor Senter for permission to use pictures the pictures in this post.)