By Alpha Gracias Allanigui
The past weeks have been full of uncertainties. They have pushed most of us to a wall. Many of us just turn our backs around; others take a few steps back still looking at that wall. They may be asking, “How do I go past that wall and go to the other side?”
This wall is called “normal life.”
COVID-19 is not just a health pandemic; it is a life-altering phenomenon. It is reshaping our lives uncomfortably. It has affected how we see the past, which seems like eons ago, to how we just seize the day. Every moment matters. We take “tomorrow” in strides or by blocks or as tranches. This situation has programmed us to be in a constant ‘raincheck’ mode. We have learned to respond as things unfold or as the need arises. The need to prepare ahead of time has been a plus-minus game as limited access to resources has become a part of our current reality.
The lockdown has brought about some positive gains. The losses in the economy are compensated, if not overturned, by the great gain in the spirit of learning and discovery.
I can relate it to migrating to a new country. It is as if one goes through a Benjamin Button experience. The old become young once more where we strip off of the old. A child emerges and there is a relearning necessary to be able to crawl, stand, walk, and run. All in a place so unfamiliar; everything becomes a new experience.
Alas! With wide-eyed curiosity, I know that this journey would take me to a place where people are more appreciative, considerate, and grateful. A community that is ready to lend a helping hand. A society, which in spite of its difficult situation, will smile back at me and encourage me to grow and move forward. It may take baby steps for me to get used to this place. I anticipate with the gusto that this will be a better space to rediscover; that to navigate this new territory entails a fresh lens. A perspective is devoid of preconceptions. A wonderful surprise that whatever is in this new domain will only enrich my learnings and discoveries of the innate nature of human beings to build meaningful relationships and find their truest purpose in life.
If it would take a leap into another dimension for humanity to be better, then this pandemic is a milestone. A season of change. A season of turnkey events. A season of hope. A season of love for family and friends. A season when we take the old back to its innermost beauty of how and why we were created in the first place. A season when we see the best in others as we help each other. A season when we put our trust not just in ourselves. A season of faith in God that this too shall come to pass. A season when we surrender all our cares into the hands of our loving Father.
This is a season when we shall all move forward to step into a new world.