I’m a big believer in trying to look at the bright side, recognizing there is a reason for everything. Cue Monty Python…

I’m sure we can all admit the parody of Monty Python is an extreme, albeit humorous, example of shifting that attitude in times of hardship. Perhaps it’s not too hard of a stretch to classify the pandemic in a similar vein. After all, millions of lives were lost, our world was turned upside down long enough for months to turn into years, and many survivors are suffering from long-term side effects brought on from contracting the virus or from taking the vaccine.

It's easy to get lost in the hardship. I still lament about those years that feel very much like a black hole of lost time.

But…

Despite it all, there were some unintended benefits that took place around the world. It was as if nature hit the reset button:

•  Smog lifted in heavily populated areas in a matter of days, specifically in Punjab India revealing the peaks of the Himalayas only 100 miles away. It was a sight not seen for more than 30 years! Read more here.

• The Earth fell “silent” as fewer people took to the roads reducing the planetary vibration by 30%. This allowed scientists to more accurately hear/study the natural sounds of the Earth as they listened to volcanic and seismic activity.

• Nature made its way into the cities as the absence of people allowed for animals to roam freely in search of food. A wild boar was seen in Haifa, Israel, a puma in Santiago, Chile, and a mountain lion in Boulder, Colorado. It was also reported that the flamingo population flourished in the South of France due to the lack of competition amongst humans for their food source.

I’m sure this list only touches the tip of the iceberg of positive influences on our planet during this infamous time in our history.

I do find it fascinating though…did all the growing discussion around climate change somehow manifest itself into a situation where the entire world was forced to stop and slow down so Mother Nature could heal?