Nature doesn’t stop for anyone or anything. If you can turn away from the grim and grisly news for a second, you’d notice we’re smack dab in the midst of spring. The world is in bloom. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is ready to pop with its trademark orange flowers that have been the backdrop of many an Instagram influencer’s selfies. But the fields are starting to wonder: is anybody going to lie down on them this spring?
With travel discouraged across the country, social distancing guidelines that demand we stay 6 feet apart from others, and shelter-in-place orders that restrict much of our movements, coronavirus is really killing our drive to sight-see. And what a sight to see the blooming poppies are. They’re such a popular attraction that in years past, the problem wasn’t a lack of visitors, but that so many people came to take in their splendor that they trampled many of the delicate flowers.
“Please don’t stay away,” the poppy fields said in a recently released joint statement. “We love to see your smiling faces, photobomb your Insta snaps, and feel the weight of you on us.” They insisted that they cannot be infected by COVID-19, and therefore reassured admirers that they can get as up close and personal as they want to their petals.
In what can only be described as a dire time all over the world, natural beauty is one thing we can all enjoy, for free. A little fresh air and flora therapy would do us all good.
Cover Photo: rhyman007 (Getty Images)
Silver linings: 10 Unexpected Upsides of the Coronavirus Outbreak
MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS:
Steer clear: 10 Kinds of Shoppers You’ll Encounter (And Who Will Annoy the Hell Out of You) During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Help Prevent the Spread of the Coronavirus
Visit the Centers for Disease Control at CDC.gov or the World Health Organization at Who.int for the latest information on the coronavirus and learn what you can do to stop the spread.
Follow Mandatory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Coronavirus Stories March 2020
-
Everything Coronavirus Has Ruined So Far
-
The Mandatory Guide to Dating in the Age of Coronavirus
-
This Coronavirus-Fighting Device Guarantees You’ll Wash Your Hands Long Enough, If You Finally Decide to Wash Them at All
-
Hilariously Inventive DIY Face Masks That May (Or May Not) Keep Coronavirus Away
-
Coronavirus Porn Is the Latest Guilty Pleasure, Quaran-Teens in Your Area (Legal Ones, Of Course)
-
Shame Cone is the Latest Coronavirus Prevention Product (For You, Not the Dog)
-
Toilet Paper Alternatives to Cover Your Ass During the Coronavirus Panic
-
Young American Forced to Find a Hobby Without Work, Sports and Travel Weighing Him Down, Thanks to Coronavirus
-
Mandatory Staff Picks: Comfort Movies to Keep You Calm During Your Coronavirus Quarantine
-
Hand Sanitizer Prices Skyrocket Amid Coronavirus, Our Cheap DIY Suggestions to Avoid Getting Scammed
-
Coronavirus Movie Marathon: The Best Sick Day Films When You Have a Lengthy Quarantine Ahead
-
Tito’s Vodka Urges Drinkers Not to Use Its Booze as Hand Sanitizer (But You Should Definitely Stockpile It for Your Quarantine)