There hasn’t been much to laugh or even smile about lately. The coronavirus has many of us extremely unsettled and striving to find the new normal in our lives.

We pulled out the calendar today to try and see what official national days or official national months are celebrated in April. You know like National Beer Day on April 7 or National Scrabble Day on April 13.

Some amusing ones would be April 16, Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day, and April 18, national velociraptor awareness day. It is OK if you have to look that one up. Everyone but Ross on “Friends” probably will need help. It seems everyone and everything has a special day.

These are real, honest declared days but declared by whom we are not sure. April 4 is National Hug a Newsperson Day, but we are all hiding out like the rest of you.

April 9 is Winston Churchhill Day. Everyone should memorize one of his quotes that day. April 10 is National Sibling Day. That isn’t too special in families with nine kids or more, particularly if your family already is big hug practitioners. April 14 is National EX day. There are so many puns to be used here but it is best to leave that one alone.

April does have some more serious special days as well. April 22 is Administrative Professional Day. It seemed simpler to define when secretary was an OK word, but administrative professional covers a multitude of duties that still underestimates the value of a key person in any organization. April 24 is Arbor Day, and finally the 25th is World Malaria Day.

Now, there is enough variety in there to cover most everyone. But the official months really seem to be on target this year with our special challenges. We all have plenty of extra time at home this April. That should make National Garden Month and National Keep America Beautiful Month. 2020 should be a banner year for those two.

The odd pair are National Humor Month and National Stress Awareness Month. There isn’t much humor in our state of the economy or health.

The stress meter hasn’t been so high since World War II. So, maybe we can work on that stress issue by looking at just a couple more official National days.

April 3rd is National Find a Rainbow Day. Can you see a rainbow in having extra family time? Isn’t there a rainbow in the phone and cable systems being over-stressed and people having to put down their electronic gadgets and talk to each other?

April 13th is National Scrabble Day. Maybe it isn’t the game Scrabble but how many people have found time to dust off the old board games like Monopoly, Sorry, Cribbage and Chess? That is called family time and can actually be educational.

We will close with National Super Hero Day. Wouldn’t it be nice to see some branch of government push Butlerites and all Americans to step up that day and honor the real superheroes? No, not the ones who fly or shoot webs but the other ones who wear capes and masks. The superheroes on the front lines against this sickness that is afflicting the world. EMTs and ambulance drivers, nurses and doctors, lab technicians and pharmacists. Don’t forget blood donors and all the auxiliary persons working to find our way through this. Those are the superheroes.

And as Mr. Rogers said “look for the helpers. You will always find people helping.”

Are you helping?

— RV