Remember the cup half-full. It’s there. Promise.

Long time ago this writer learned the cup half-full and the cup half-empty are always there. Learned too that I tend to notice the half-empty with (way) more consistency than the cup half-full. Seems all kinds of folk have the same tendency, a tendency amplified by the COVID-19 virus that has, for the time being, limited the expanse of our daily life. So, yes, not easy to notice the cup half-full, but seeing it and reveling in it is more important than ever.

The cup half-full for me consists of friendships, a wide range of music (classical, jazz, folk, reggae, country, rock). No virus will stop me from listening to Bruce Springsteen, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Miles Davis, Randy Travis, Bob Dylan, and on and on and on.

Watching the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed lifts my spirits without fail.

And then, there is Johnny Carson. Watching reruns and clips from his shows. They bring me great comfort. There is no cruelty or emotional violence in Carson.  There is, however, enormous joy and fun and humor that at times can be so funny, I begin to think my belly will become a six-pack.

Lastly, there is mother nature. Fresh air. Birds. Trees that, while denuded of leaves, are still elegant, and powerful, each serving as a reminder that they and our country will survive these times. A survival that can only be hastened by remembering the cup that is half-full.