Abdullah MC enumerates some positive lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic in this article.
If anyone thought they were the masters of the world around us, then the coronavirus pandemic has delivered them a rather rude awakening. Our very existence and the fragility of human life has been brought into sharp focus.
Who would have thought at the beginning of 2020 — while wishing everyone a happy new year — what lay ahead of us? This pandemic has emphatically demonstrated that we are not in control of our destinies.
We have been forced to confront some of the most basic questions governing our life that we would not have otherwise addressed: what is the purpose of our existence, who are the most important people in our lives, what are the things that we really hold close to our hearts?
If we ever needed confirmation that humanity as a whole is intertwined, this virus has established that premise without a semblance of doubt. Can the elimination of the virus in New Zealand be celebrated without the eradication of the virus elsewhere around the world? Can the elimination of the virus in Canada be crowed about when our neighbour, the United States, is suffering? I would think not. “We are all in this together” is not a trite phrase any longer, but a call to arms loaded with meaning.
The pandemic has opened our eyes to our most basic needs, and a reimagining of our highest values. It has brought into focus the value of the under-appreciated ordinary heroes who toil day in and day out without recognition or reward: the nurses, the hospital staff, the grocery store clerks, the courier drivers and so on.
It has been refreshing to see notices on my condo bulletin board put up by strangers offering to help the old and the needy with little acts of kindness like buying groceries for them or accompanying them on walks. While the news related to the pandemic in the mainstream media has largely been negative, it has also been heartening to hear about the numerous acts of selflessness and bravery by frontline hospital workers, doctors and nurses. Their efforts during these months of crisis can never be forgotten.
Moving on to other things Covid-19, we have to agree that the pandemic has taught us a thing or two about money. Are you using your money the same way as you used to pre-pandemic? I don’t think so. It is generally thought that one should build up (and maintain) an emergency fund, enough to pay day-to-day living expenses for up to six months or more. Did anyone pass this rule of thumb and felt comforted that it was there? “Saving up for a rainy day” is a trite message that we often try to convey to our children, and now we have the perfect opportunity to actually demonstrate what that means and how it comes into play.
There are other little nuggets of reality, hitherto not given consideration by some, that have inevitably come to the forefront: Those who are in the habit of constantly eating out have been forced to explore the joys available in their own kitchen if only they tried; Did you really have to pay $50 for that haircut when it is all going to grow back again? How about the word “repair” instead of the word “replace”? Yes, the pandemic has taught us plenty.
In the space of 4 months, the difference between “needs” and “wants” has become crystal clear. A roof over our heads, food on the table, transportation to carry us to and from places, heating and cooling costs, etc constitute our basic needs. Out the window goes the desire for branded clothing, brainless entertainment, the temptation to order take-out etc. For those having children and young adults in their families, it may be worth their while to say out loud, “Do we really need this?”, so that the message gets ingrained in their brains.
These are also times when folks who have not experienced a severe loss of income to become aware of the needs of those less fortunate. Due to the activism seen on social media, I see with great admiration how members of our community have risen to the occasion — as they always have even during other troubled times — and made tangible differences to the lives of folks affected adversely by the pandemic, be it via fundraisers, mobilizing PPEs, counselling the vulnerable, etc.
Medical supplies, food banks, affected students, seniors services are all areas that have received the largesse of right-thinking folks in this community. May the Almighty bless them and continue to energize them in helping the causes they support.
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