Self-isolation during the coronavirus can easily lead to loneliness. Two children in Clintonville, Ohio, made sure that didn’t happen for their elderly neighbor. Nine-year-old Taren Tien and his six-year-old sister Calliope set up their cellos on their neighbor’s porch on Monday and gave her a performance. Because she is in a high-risk age group, 78-year-old Helena Schlam has been self-isolating to protect herself from the coronavirus and was delighted by the spontaneous half-hour musical performance, which she listened to from 10 feet away.
Photo: JMBorchardt/Twitter
Two Children Put on a Cello Concert for Their Elderly Neighbor in Self-Isolation
Neighbor Jackie Borchardt shared a video of the performance on Twitter.
Sharing with y’all pic.twitter.com/75pqmsY8bg
— Jackie Borchardt (@JMBorchardt) March 16, 2020
The responses on social media have been overwhelmingly supportive, with one user writing, “Be proud of your two youngsters because they’ve brought happiness to many people with their kindness.” Another wrote, “This act is simply beautiful. Moving. What a wonderful gift! Thanks for sharing the best of humanity.”
Indeed, the pandemic has forced all of us into incredibly inconvenient situations, canceling our favorite events, postponing festivals, and forcing us to distance ourselves from loved ones. But the crisis also continues to reveal the best of humanity, highlighting moments of kindness and neighborly love that can keep us optimistic during these tough circumstances. 