We are living through unprecedented moments in the history of mankind. A minuscule, club-shaped microbial entity, has brought the entire human race to its knees and there lies ahead, the mammoth task of capturing and containing it before it ravages us in its merciless tramp. Life, for most of us across the globe, is on hold right now and our minds are eclipsed with a lingering fear, of how this pandemic would change the course of our individual and collective lives.
Markets are crashing, businesses are folding up and the global economic scenario is shrouded in a pall of gloom. Yes, these are difficult times but they have come to us with innumerable lessons. Never before, have we seen nations unify, in solidarity of such magnitude. The challenge that has shaken us to the core, has also managed to bind us all in its commonality. With most countries under a lockdown, it is a time for quiet reflection and introspection for mankind. The sight of discernably clearer skies, sharp lights, swans in canals and dolphins at empty cruise ports are signed, that Nature reclaims the world when we, as a race, are coerced to adopt a co-existent stance towards it. The house-arrests have huddled families together, in a circle of togetherness that has never been experienced before. Cooped up inside our houses, we are getting edgy and snappy but are also learning to never take the presence of our loved ones for granted. We are evolving creative ways to spend time productively and rediscovering the joys of simple activities like reading, singing, and writing. In the last so many years, for all of us, there has always been someplace to rush to but all of a sudden, the only place you can head to now, is your own home. For employees, particularly in India, the work from home option has emerged as the most feasible solution not just to these tough times, but also towards achieving a commute- less work situation, which may de-escalate the alarming AQI levels of urban cities and metros. COVID-19 has inspired a wave of kindness in people, with many online community platforms coming up, to provide caregiving services to the elderly and physically challenged people. As strange as it may sound, we are no longer hung up on how life should be and it is truly liberating when we understand that life doesn’t always have to be a certain way. We now understand, how our health care and essential service providers work tirelessly and selflessly to ensure that our lives run seamlessly; we are praying silently for their well-being as much as for our own.
Overwhelming as these times are, a simple smile at the end of the day can put things in perspective and allow us to see the blessings that envelop us. The biggest learning for all of us is to never ever take our journey here as a given, it’s a privilege that we should treasure every single waking day. Charles Dickens in the opening lines of his classic, A Tale of Two Cities, said something, that is apt for the current times: “…it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”
The uncertainty looms large, yet there’s a view that is radiating at the horizon, pristine and clear, which is sure to reset our lives and this planet. We just need to embrace it with humility and own it with pride.
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