To my students:

These are difficult and uncertain times. When so much seems out of your control, remember that you remain in charge of two things: your focus and how you treat others.

Continue to be considerate and protective of the most vulnerable. Find ways through virtual paths to be a compassionate presence in the lives of others. Read or listen to books that nurture strength of spirit. Ask for recommendations. Post uplifting reading and listening recommendations. 

We are in the midst of a rare collective "pause"—an opportunity to cultivate connections virtually, to check in on each other, share words of comfort, and say "thank you" and "I love you" maybe more than we ever have. Thank you to all of the helpers. I love you to the people along the way who believed in you, inspired you, taught you something.

Take this time-out to look up a first grade teacher who taught you about phonics and compassion (Mrs. Romanick did that for me). Find that coach, friend, former schoolmate, employer, co-worker who helped you somehow. Send heartfelt thank-you notes. As a teacher, I can tell you that I cherish and save every kind note from my students. I turn to those notes to remind me that there is goodness everywhere and that although it can feel that we are alone, we never really are. A thousand invisible threads connect us to each other. One family. One community. This fragile and beautiful heart of ours speaks a single language.

Be good to yourself. Be kind to everyone. My wish, to borrow from Camus, is that "in the midst of this winter you find, within you, that invincible summer." It is there, and "no matter how hard the world pushes against you, there's something stronger—something better, pushing right back."

With great respect and esteem,

Paula Franzese

Paula A. Franzese is Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law at Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark.