What I’ve learned from this pandemic
Today is my city’s phase 3 reopening, and life is somewhat back to normal. It has been 16 months since we all were presented with a global crisis - a global reboot, as I and many others would like to say. So much sadness has happened, so many lives lost, so many changes in humanity. What have I learned from it?
I learned the very simple and basic things - that I don’t need a lot of material things to live (clothes, bags, shoes, and the list goes on); that the peace and quiet of being cooped up inside can be healthy for me in a way compared to all the noise that a lot of us live with on a daily basis; that the company of my immediate family is enough to sustain me; that the world can function digitally, electronically; that the world is not so big after all.
I have missed the people interaction, the actual feel of a hug from a loved one, and the non-virtual human connection. Many of us are lucky to have remained healthy all through these months, but so many have been affected - so many have suffered, have lost loved ones, have lost jobs, have lost their livelihood. I have found it difficult to express the right words - no words are enough to comfort those who have been impacted by this tragedy.
What I have seen that has often brought me to tears are the images of people helping people - the kindness and generosity that has been going on out there is so touching to see. The frontliners are the heroes - I cannot fathom the sacrifices they have made to make sure all of us, especially the sick and their families, are comforted and well taken care of. I cannot thank them enough; I salute all of them.
After almost a year and a half of what CoVid-19 has put us through around the world, one thing stands out for me the most – it is that at the end of the day, we are all the same, we are all equal. This virus was after all of us - regardless of economic standing, race, nationality, gender, and so on. This experience has made me think hard of how I want the next phase of my life to look like; it has forced me to reprioritize the different aspects of my life, and it has given me the time to process and understand what and who are most important to me.
Life is never an easy thing – we get curve balls thrown at us at different times in our stay on this earth. One thing I hope to do is to carry with me everything that I have learned from this pandemic. I hope to do better every day, to be kind always, and to be grateful all the time.
