Silver Linings

There’s no doubt that our world has turned upside down in the last two and a half months. Together, we mourn the precious lives of every one of our neighbours, friends, and community members that have been lost to this virus. Together, we send our thoughts and support to people who have been infected, to all frontline workers, to all those who have lost their jobs, and to everyone who has been profoundly affected by this virus. Together, we long for family gatherings, graduations, weddings and all that has been lost.

Certainly the effects of this virus have been devastating, though perhaps we’ve also found a few gifts. Like many busy students and young families, in early March I found myself constantly running from one activity to another and finishing up physics labs late at night. Then, within a week, I was sitting on the couch watching Gilmore Girls and eating popcorn. Ok, so my sister and I binge watching Gilmore Girls reruns has not been the most productive part of this pandemic. While I miss my classes and friends, I have to say I’m finding online school efficient, especially when I can wake up at 8:45am and brush my teeth for my 9:00am class!

But in all seriousness, many of us have found ourselves with a bit more flexibility now that everything is online and we have a few extra free hours. I’ve had the chance to explore my neighbourhood on long walks and test out my culinary skills with new recipes. While we all get on each other’s nerves being in the same space 24/7, the last couple months have also forced us to spend quality time with our immediate families. As a high school student who may move away in a year, I’m grateful for this and for the memories like just plain fooling around and helping my sister build a blanket fort and setting up a projector screen with a bedsheet in the backyard.

With this time also comes some extra reflection. Many have been thinking about and expressing gratitude for the things that matter most in their lives. The people, places, and activities that make them happy. Those are the things we miss the most. At some point or another, I think we’ve all come to realize how important genuine human connection is. We yearn to spend time with and feel apart of our extended family, neighbourhood, and faith communities. It’s possible we also just miss our general acquaintances. You never knew how much you valued the exchange of a smile with the Starbucks barista who handed you your morning coffee, the reciprocating of a friendly nod with the security guard in your community centre as you as you headed into a meeting, or the conversation with that sweet lady at Jamatkhana or church, until they were no longer in your life. So hopefully, once this over, we will all take that time to smile at these kind people in our communities for a little longer and hug them a little tighter.

Perhaps, as Anne would say the “kindred spirits” have had their chance to shine the last couple months in their acts of community building. The most successful public health officials and politicians have been those who were not afraid to show their humanness. They have led with empathy, kindness, and compassion; a voice of calm in the chaos, reassuring us that everything will be alright (and many of whom have been women, may I add!)

We’ve seen a new definition of leadership. Personally, it’s become even more apparent that success isn’t measured by the accomplishments on one’s resume or the fancy suit one puts on every morning, it’s measured by the difference each one of us makes. The large corporate companies and firms haven’t necessarily been the ones who saved the day during this pandemic. The true everyday heroes are the healthcare providers that hold our hands when we are scared, the grocery store workers who stock tomatoes to keep us fed, the bus drivers who diligently get us to where we need to be, and the janitorial staff who quietly sanitize our classrooms.

As Former President Barack Obama so perfectly put it in his commencement speech, “It doesn’t matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick; and that our society and our democracy only work when we think not about ourselves, but about each other.”

It all makes so much sense because as we have come to realize, for perhaps the first time in history, we as a world are now united in fighting one common enemy. I don’t think there is any way we can do that individually, divided by class, gender, race and religion.

We have each done our own part in stopping the spread of the the virus by staying home when we can and being careful, not predominantly for ourselves. We are doing it for our ninety year old grandma and our immunocompromised friend. The truth is that the virus doesn’t differentiate between us based on the colour of our skin, who we pray to, or who we love, and maybe we shouldn’t either. Hopefully, this pandemic has helped to unveil the very simple fact that we all come from the same place.

We are far more similar than we are different.

Jumping back to our reality – provinces across the country are starting to re-open. Some are going out to get their desperately needed haircut. Others are scared and continue to stay home. That is ok, and we can’t judge one another. Unfortunately, a lot is still uncertain. We don’t know if there will be a second wave or how large it will be. We don’t know when a vaccine or treatment will be readily available and accessible. Yes, it’s scary, but we are in it together.

Let us all strive to live our lives by the lessons, values, and silver linings we have discovered in the past couple months. We can cherish the memories. Be grateful for what is most important. Continue building community. Say thanks to the heroes. Remember that we are one human race. Do our part and be kind. Because, in the end, kindness always wins. Pandemic or life.