A friend of mine in her 80s has always been active in her community. She raised her own two kids and several others by herself in spite of never having any money to speak of. She’s a wonderful artist, an inspiring teacher, an ardent and articulate lefty, a doting grandmother. But her only surviving child and her grandchildren live far away.

Ten years ago, she was taking African dance classes and swimming across Walden Pond. Today, she can’t stand up straight. She isn’t sick but she doesn’t feel so good either. She still takes care of her old house and rents the extra rooms, so she’s eking out a living. But it’s getting hard for her to do simple things like grocery shopping.

When I spoke with her the other day, she was excited and happy. A purely accidental meeting led to a connection with local volunteers who are, she says simply, “helping each other.” This informal group started online in mid-March, when this country first began to take the pandemic seriously. Now they’re filling a few of the many needs that are not being met by either charitable organizations or government. For one thing, they’re helping her bring in the groceries.

The internet is an amazing tool. Maybe it’s the brain of our species, forming just in time. This network connects billions of us in ways never possible before. But a network of actual in-person humans is still the best thing of all.

My friend has been helping others throughout her long life. Sometimes it’s hard for such people to accept help when they need it. My friend, though, is a philosopher. She knows that kindness is its own reward. The folks who are helping her now are fortunate to do it. They are experiencing the warmth of real community.

May such kindness sustain us through these dark days: both giving, and receiving.