Problem or solution?

It's been a TOUGH time. TOUGH. TOUGH. TOUGH. 

Nature, Mother Earth, Gaia, call it what you may, is kicking our proverbial ass. 

A few days ago I said to my 82 year old father "Please don't leave the house so that you stay healthy, I don't want to lose you". My father, always the ultimate MIT engineer pragmatist answered: "You will lose me some day, what you mean is that you don't want to lose me prematurely". This of course comes from the man who has ALWAYS said "When I am a bigger part of the problem than the solution, please let me go" 

The man who developed an logarithm to choose a mate - DECADES before Tinder and measures costs and benefits for EVERYTHING however, has failed to teach me how to measure his contribution to "being a problem". Do I measure this with how much he is costing the system? The family? How much care he will require? 

He has also not taught me how to measure his contribution to being part of the "solution". Do I measure this with the presence of his voice in my life? His presence in his grandchildren's life? His make-me-smile memes on Whatsapp? His calls to make sure we are all ok? His face on zoom? How do you compare a problem to a solution when love is involved?

Over the last year I have had to make tough choices, some were easy, some not so. In one case even when love was involved the choice was easy - the choice was me, love for me is much better than love for another. Love for myself was paramount so I chose me. In that case it was a no brainer. It isn't always as clear ... or is it?

THIS is where we ALL are now - part of the problem or part of the solution? Do we sacrifice our happiness for others? Stay at home and grow bored for others? Go to work and help or stay home and safe? Do we love others or do we love ourselves? Can we do both?

Every day I see acts of kindness when people make the choice to LOVE. My colleagues come in to work and chose to be part of the solution. All health care workers are doing the same, but so is every clerk who stands behind the plexiglass to make sure we have food, snacks, even toilet paper. Every person who has delivered pizza or sushi or poke to your door? Part of the solution!

So here is the trick, its not that complicated really - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE - love for now. Love so you don't lose anyone prematurely.