Making the Best of Quarantine Days (A Letter from Global Peace Women #4)

Soonok Kang
May 11, 2020

Since March 19th, Secretary-General of Global Peace Women (GPW), Dr. Soonok Kang has been sending weekly messages uplifting a healthy and happy family culture from home to community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Kang would like to share best practices from family activities like making masks to gratitude journals as well as our GPF family’s kindness stories in helping neighbors each Friday. 

If you wish to share best practices for families to build a healthy and happy family environment during the Coronavirus pandemic, please email Dr. Soonok Kang: [email protected]


Dear Global Family,

Are you staying safe by keeping your physical distance? We have been in quarantine for many weeks now (some more than others) inside and keep our distance. But we hope you don’t let this stop you from staying connected with your friends and families. Our social connections are a very important support group and also keeps us healthy.

We know that from the beginning, our human family was created to be social beings. I recently read in a blog by Sarah Kaplan that “Human connection bolsters the immune system. That’s why it’s more important than ever to be kind” (see article). The article addresses the studies of Holt-Lunstad show that socially connected people were 50% less likely to die in a given period of time versus their lonely counterparts. These studies provide evidence that human connection boosts the immune system while too long in loneliness and isolation are more likely to bring high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and other health issues.

Your kind words to loved ones over a call will be strong vitamins!

Now it is more important than ever to regularly stay connected. When you contact our loved ones, we encourage you to ask not only how they are doing, but also tell them how much you care and appreciate them with heartfelt words. When we let our loved ones know how much we love, care, and value them, we are helping with their health and happiness.

We are fortunate to be living in times that we can communicate instantly using messaging apps that allow us to meet face to face with people who are physically distant.

Make time to check on your friends and loved one especially our parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Send them thoughtful messages, show your face through a video call, watch the same video together. Now there are many creative ways to enjoy time together with loved ones online!

When you go out of your way to spend an enjoyable time with your loved ones, they will wholeheartedly appreciate it, knowing that they have someone who cares for them.

One simple yet thoughtful activity you can do when you stay connected during this physical distance with your parents or parent figure for your life is to join our family stories campaign. When we think of and share what we appreciate the most about our parents,  we are actively spreading the positive and happy virus that connects us with our global human families.

We invite you to join this meaningful campaign:

  1. Write about what you appreciate about your father, mother, or parental figure.

  2. Include a picture of your parent or with your parent (even if it’s through video call)

  3. Send it to us or post it on social media using #appreciateparents #familystories2020

Read this beautiful story from a family in Nepal joining the campaign.

Let the key people in your life know how much they mean to you and encourage each other especially in times like these difficulties. Stay connected with them and let them know how loved and appreciated they are.

Global Peace Women wholeheartedly wishes you and your family stay safe and healthy, and more importantly, stay connected.

Sincerely,

Dr. Soonok Kang,
Secretary-General, Global Peace Women

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