The COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant lockdown have gotten everyone down. Employees are struggling as they find themselves furloughed, while families are stressing as they are forced into tight home quarters. Yet, we need not fear. Love always prevails.

Right?

Sadly, that may not be the case. As grape Japan recently reported, #coronadivorce has been trending online, signaling the dire straits an increasing number of couples currently find themselves in. Many are frustrated that their lives have been turned upside-down by the virus. Making matters worse, current conditions are showing them that their significant other isn't who they thought they were.

I’d suggest a romantic getaway but...

The Kind of Story We Need Right Now

If you are familiar with American talk shows, Late Night host Seth Meyers has a bit he calls “The Kind of Story We Need Right Now.” Amid headlines of nationwide lockdowns or presidential impeachments, the segment features light-heartened, funny, and life-affirming events that rarely make headlines.

For example, a December 2019 installment featured the robbery of an 82-year-old lady. Only one twist: the lady was a bodybuilder. When a burglar knocked down her front door, she gave him whats for before he could take anything. As the host puts it, “Most news stories make me want to jump off of a bridge. This story makes me want to jump onto a bridge.”

And, fortunately, a locked-down husband has provided us with exactly such a story.

“What a Wonderful ‘Vacation’ This Is”

Twitter user P-chan Papa (@P_chan_papa) and his better half have been untouched by the marital angst coronavirus is currently causing. The husband makes this clearly known on his Twitter feed.

Like many, the pandemic has drastically changed his and his wife's daily routine. The two currently telework and are in close proximity to one another throughout the day. But rather than contemplate divorce, he has felt deeply inspired by having his wife all the more by his side. His heart overflows when he sees her working so hard.

On such an occasion, he tweeted the following:

Roughly translated, “Seeing my wife working remotely in such proximity—how she talks smoothly and calmly while delegating to her staff, or how she types more quietly than you'd expect—over the passing days I can't help but think what a wonderful 'vacation' this is. Seeing how she speaks resolutely to her boss but kindly to her staff, I'm falling in love with her all over again.”

“And She’s also Cute”

It seems P-chan Papa was really struck by his wife’s work ethic. Hardly able to contain himself, he continued:

Again, roughly translated, “It's such a joy seeing this wonderful woman. After we were assigned remote work, it was so cool and sweet that she went out and bought a huge monitor and thick illuminated keyboard. She even managed to find masks at a drugstore! This wonderful woman, who wears light makeup while she works in her pajamas, is such a precious sight upon which I greedily gaze. She's everything I need.
And she’s also cute.”

Man, he’s got it bad.

Nevertheless, it definitely seems that they are the perfect couple.

In other tweets, he continues to express how much he enjoys the little things during lockdown: ordering Uber Eats, watching TV together, and so on.

“I Can’t Fathom the Limits of My Love”

He even took the time to remember when he proposed.

“The moment I proposed I thought 'There is no way I can love this woman any more than I do.' And then we were married. Yet, when I saw how she gazed upon the child that we had together, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that she was no longer a princess, but that she had become a goddess to me. I can't fathom the limits of my love for this woman."

Indeed, he can undoubtedly wax poetic. Way to make the rest of us look bad.

But here is neither the time nor the place.

As you might expect, followers were moved by P-chan Papa's tweets. Here are some of their reactions.

And this has been “The Kind of Story We Need Right Now.”