Last year at this time was surreal. We were  suddenly thrust into an alternate universe, a new planet of sorts – a COVID planet. We were informed about the new enemy, a strange and confusing virus, that attacked some but not all. And no one knew who it will attack and when. And even when attacked, one never knew if he or she will be affected mildly, moderately, or severely. Some were dying, and many were getting sick. It was like out of a science fiction novel, and it was happening to us.

First, back in 2019 we watched as China, and Italy and other countries were invaded by the COVID-19 virus. We may have looked at them with sympathy, thinking, “nah, it’s not going to come here….right?” Others panicked.

Well, not quite. It did come here, to America  and basically all over the world, leading to worldwide pandemic. We had mixed feelings – and we wrote about it. We created art, or puzzles or crafts, or lessons, or workshops. Everyone tried to cope in whatever way that worked for them.

During this time, a writer, Chaya Passow, a grandmother, teacher, and speaker, wrote letters from  what she dubbed Planet Corona, this new and strange place she found herself in. She shared those short essays with her friends over email,  and over time she gathered seventy letters, which she compiled into a book.

In Letters from Planet Corona, the author wrote her thoughts from day to day.  From mid-March, when the virus became real in most parts of the world, she described day by day or week by week what she was going through, mirroring what we all might have been going through. In fact, I identified with the issues and topics the author raises,  in ways that it could have been my diary. Minus the literature and pop culture references, as well as many Torah/Biblical insights.

Mrs. Passow’s book is full of insights and reminders how to grow from our experience. Here we are thrown into a new planet where everything is “not normal.” Whether things will become more normal, or very normal, or stay the way they are now –is not something we know right now. But, she reminds us to keep the lessons that we’ve learned and o start now and be conscious of these lessions so that we can activate them into our present and future lives. To realize that we are not really in control, and that we were never in control. Covid reminded us of things we always knew but didn’t really face up to: That we are not in control; only G-d is.

One of my favorite parts of the book (spoiler alert!) is when Ms. Passow enters fictional offices in Israel (where she lives) and the reader figures out that she’s just entering them in her mind. The offices are labeled with names of so-called offices to navigate one’s spiritual or emotional path. In these offices, Ms. Passow learns how to proceed in these areas, and her humor is not lost on the reader.

Another wonderful part is where she quotes the concept of “Welcome to Holland,” and brings a lesson from a poem by E. P. Kingsley, describing her experiences when finding out that she has a child with a disability. The parent goes through her journey of pregnancy thinking her child will be without disabilities. This journey is described as one where a person plans to travel to Italy, but finds out that the pilot has landed in Holland. Italy was the expectation, but the tourist, after the initial shock, learns to adapt to Holland, as “not Italy,” but still something very special and wonderful. In Ms. Passow’s sensitive manner, she conveys the point that humanity has had to reframe our situation during these times of the Corona virus where we are inhabiting Planet Corona. We  realize that a “new normal” is one we have to deal with and even embrace.

I highly recommend “Letters from Planet Corona” if you want to engage in a smooth read that just happens to have witticism, humor, deep thoughts, and lots of references to spiritual wisdom.