Little Local Joys: Uniting with Light

One of the ongoing stories shared by ELi readers and contributors about little things and positive moments that bring us joy and hope during the coronavirus outbreak.

East Lansing residents will honor the doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other emergency medical professionals working to aid others during the COVID-19 outbreak by placing luminaries and candles outside their homes this evening, April 1, starting at 7 p.m.

Posts for “Let There Be Light” have circulated widely through area Facebook groups and social media as residents are looking to show support for healthcare providers across mid-Michigan and beyond. East Lansing neighborhoods are among the countless communities state and nationwide taking part in the simple gesture to show appreciation and to “shine bright despite the circumstances.”

East Lansing resident Nancy Cuddeback plans to participate as a way to express gratitude during the public health crisis. She first heard about the activity through an event posting on Facebook. She feels the event provides a wonderful way to get outside and reinforce connectedness with one another despite the ongoing need for social distancing.

“The event specifically mentions all the medical personnel who are doing amazing work to get us through this situation,” she wrote on the local discussion forum Public Response. “And, of course, thousands of others are working hard to keep this train on the tracks: city employees, food service people, delivery people, farmers, utility workers, tradespeople. I find myself just looking around, counting my blessings, and saying thank you.”

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Correction: This article has been corrected to note that ELi obtained Cuddeback's post via Public Response, not our contact form.