Italy was one of the first countries to be hit hard by the pandemic. Italians were determined to preserve and keep spirits high by singing to each other on their balconies. And some of those neighborhood singers weren’t too shabby.

Lots of people added new four-legged friends to their families during the coronavirus pandemic and dog adoptions and sales soared. Some animal shelters around the country were cleaned out and had people on waitings list to adopt. These sweet creatures helped provide us humans with the love, comfort, and companionship needed to get through these tough times.

With the sole purpose of trying to make people happy, actor John Krasinski started what quickly became America’s favorite DIY quarantine news segment, SGN (which stands for Some Good News). And it was freaking awesome.

It featured news from us, people around the world who were doing nice things, fun things, and happy things for each other. Krasinski also went out of his way to make sure to brighten people’s spirits but doing nice things for random people like hosting an online graduation, a wedding, and introducing a girl to the cast of Hamilton after the show she was supposed to go to got canceled.

SGN also featured some big-time celebrities like Oprah and Steven Spielberg. Not only that but it gave us something America has been longing for… a reunion of the cast of The Office. In its heyday, SGN was a beautiful moment in time during a very scary moment in time thanks to quarantine hero Krasinski who reminded us that “good news can be found anywhere.”

Humans need hugs and physical contact. It’s science. So humans, being the amazing creative forces they are, came up with creative ways to get their hugs in while also staying safe. These kids couldn’t wait to hug their great grandmother.

One thing that I like to think about that brings me joy is how we all had each other’s back when the pandemic hit. We made sure to check on our neighbors and see if there was anything they needed. We also offered to go to the store for them to minimize trips like these friendly neighbors that would make Mister Rogers proud.

Celebrities and Hip Hop fans alike all joined together to watch the epic DJ battle between the legendary RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan and DJ Premier. We all watched the live stream on social media and jammed out in our living rooms watching which celebrities were leaving comments and making song requests. It was cool to have all those different kinds of people in one place enjoying the same thing.

It really felt like we were at our favorite club for a little while even though most of us were sitting on our couches. It also brought back some nostalgic memories when our favorite songs were played and gave us a chance to have some at home fun. Verzuz is the brainchild of Swizz Beatz and Timbaland and we thank them for putting these battles between our favorites like Patty LaBelle and Gladys Knight together. Learn more about how Verzuz became a quarantine phenomenon here.

Lots of us had to forgo a lot of special occasions because of COVID. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t celebrate. We just had to get creative about it. Instead of traditional birthday parties, people enjoyed birthday drive-by parades to make their loved ones feel special and so that they could celebrate them being born into this world.

Musicians upheld their sacred duties to keep music alive during the pandemic. Even though many concert venues were shuttered. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs celebrated their 20th anniversary with a concert from a closet and Dolly Parton sang to us on Easter. Independent venues all around the world are at risk of permanently closing due to financial loss.

“Without support from Congress, 90% of NIVA’s independent venues across America say they will close their doors forever,” the National Independent Venue Association says.

Learn how to support and protect your local stages and venues here. Until they open up again, we’re thankful for the mini-concerts we’re getting from our favorite artists online.

People in neighborhoods across the world put up decorations across town to give others strength. They also wanted to pay tribute to essential workers and health care professionals. Looking for these signs around your neighborhood could really brighten your day. Here are a few pictures from my neighborhood.

As soon as the pandemic hit, comedians took to their social media accounts to keep us smiling. These artists were out of work, in need of income, and just as shocked and scared as we all were, still they upheld the noble task of bringing laughter to the people. And once it was safe to go outside again, they hopped in the back of trucks, in parks, and on rooftops to practice their craft and make us laugh at socially distanced comedy shows.

For those who had to quarantine alone and away from family and friends, we had to become our own best friends. That means taking care of and celebrating ourselves as we would the ones we love. Like this cool lady who made sure to get herself a cake and sing to herself on her birthday. It’s the sweetest video EVER!

Coronavirus kept lots of people apart from their loved ones. But eventually, we decided enough is enough and found creative get arounds. Even seeing our loved ones through glass doors made us feel better and helped to give us the strength to carry on.

Quarantine has got people deep into their collections. And that’s great! It’s been helping to distract people and keep them busy.

It’s important to be nice to others and spread cheer if you can during these times. So, that’s exactly what Bret Turner’s 5-year-old daughter and her bestie did. They just yelled compliments to strangers on the street. It was such a good idea that even Samuel L. Jackson wanted to get in on the action.

Lots of us are finding joy in “the little things” these days. Little things like putting up our Christmas trees early. If it brings you joy and isn’t hurting anyone… DO IT!

Almost 40 percent of coronavirus deaths occurred in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. It was even as high as 80 percent in some states at the beginning of the pandemic.

That’s why so many nursing home had to prevent visitors from coming inside their facilities. This meant that some spouses couldn’t even see each other. But that didn’t stop people from being with their true loves. One woman got a job as a dishwasher just so she could see her husband and another man came to his wife’s window to sing for three hours a day. Nothing can stop true love. Not even COVID.

Well, this is incredibly beautiful. We have firefighter angels from FDNY Ladder 15 paying tribute to healthcare hero angels. They both know what it’s like to try and save lives under grave circumstances. Firefighters Louis Derosa played the National Anthem on electric guitar at 7 p.m. during the city’s daily salute to healthcare workers.

During the pandemic we’ve seen some of the most fire memes of all time. They’ve kept as laughing and smiling even when we felt like we couldn’t. Thank goodness for the memes.

Speaking of memes, some of the best memes were Tiger King memes. Say what you will about Tiger King but it made a lot of people happy. Don’t judge.

Lots of vacations were canceled because of coronavirus. But that doesn’t mean families couldn’t go on holiday. This Hertfordshire, England family was determined to have their ski holiday no matter what so dad built a chair lift and dry ski slope in the backyard.

A life saved is cause for celebration. That’s why hospitals made sure to mark the discharge of their COVID patients with a song. They also celebrated when a patient was taken off of a ventilator.

Robyn Roberts-Williams couldn’t imagine getting married without her mother being present. But her mother is in a nursing home quarantining because of the pandemic. So, Robyn brought her wedding to her mom and got married in the courtyard of the nursing home so her mother could witness the event. True love can’t stop, won’t stop.

The Lasagna Mamas started out as a group of women making lasagnas for other moms in their community who needed a break from cooking or were struggling due to the pandemic. Now thousands of families have been fed in cities across America thanks to this carbohydrate chain of love. Good to Mama reports that the Lasagna Love moment has fed 5,272 families in 42 different cities and has 2,347 volunteer chefs. Learn more at lasagnalove.org.

So, this one is kind of mean BUTTTTTT you’d probably be lying if you said that the viral Zoom Fail you saw wasn’t hysterical. You know it was. EOnline picked out their 10 favorites here. But I think the mother of all Zoom Fails for 2020 had to be the one below. Thanks for giving us a laugh Jennifer, you’re doing God’s work and we appreciate it.

While some of us may miss going into the office and seeing our co-workers (and I’m sure there’s a lot who don’t) working from home ain’t all that bad. In fact, it’s pretty darn good. Especially, when you don’t have to wear pants and get to hang out with cuties like this all day.

COVID made it OK to eat bread again… thank GOD! Everyone seems to be baking homemade bread. I need to find a friend who is into this because that fresh quarantine baked bread looks delicious! Baking is especially joyful because you’re making it for people you love which means your love gets infused in that dough making it taste extra special.

There are a lot of people struggling financially right now and both Democrats and Republicans haven’t been able to compromise (even though that’s their job) on a stimulus package to bring relief to businesses and individuals. But people have each other’s backs in neighborhoods across America and are creating community refrigerators. They are outdoor refrigerators where people can take or leave food for others.

Just because we can’t go out and dance doesn’t mean that we can’t still dance. DJs around America are spinning over the internet so people at home can have at-home dance parties. DJ D-Nice had about 100,000 people hopping and bopping in their living rooms during the pandemic, including Former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Getting take out used to be considered a splurge. Thanks to the pandemic getting take out several times a week is no longer a guilty pleasure. In fact, it makes you a hero because you’re supporting local businesses.

When the pandemic first hit people were going strong trying to buy up gift cards and take out to make sure their favorite eateries stayed afloat which was a really beautiful thing. Hopefully, our government will do their part to help these hardworking people and the places we love too. Also, how FREAKING AWESOME is it that we can now get to-go cocktails and margs from our fav restaurants. The answer? SO AWESOME!

I do really miss getting dressed up and going out. However, lots of us really do appreciate the new comfy clothes only lifestyle. Even though having to wear a mask is a total bummer, people are getting so creative with their masks which is awesome. It’s COVID fashion.

Music gives us life. And it’s been considerably important during COVID. I’ve made myself a survival playlist and it freaking rocks and brings me great joy. Don’t have one? That’s OK there are lots of quarantine and stay positive playlists out there, just search for them on places like Spotify.

Being in quarantine has given us a chance to learn new things. It’s created time for self-reflection and to learn new things about ourselves. It’s also given us time to take on new hobbies and learn new skills. I learned how to use a sewing machine! What did you learn during quarantine?

I also love how COVID has brought back casual drinking. Virtual happy hours with friends are super fun. It’s not as good as being together in person but it’s doing the trick until then, especially with all the cool apps that allow you and your friends to play games while you drink and chit chat.

The pandemic has allowed lots of us to take a step back from the rat race of modern life. Hopefully, that meant using that time to do more of the things that we love. Like pursuing hobbies and dreams and spending more time with the people we love.