FIVE THINGS COVID-19 TAUGHT ME!

Hello! Ayubowan (Ayoo-bow-aan), that’s how we greet people in Sri Lanka! Today I am doing a bit of reminiscing over the past year and a half. It’s true that this disease wrecked havoc and it continues to do so, (I am writing this post on Wednesday, and Sri Lanka has reported 3000+ cases for today, which is honestly a record 😥) but there are a few invaluable lessons that Covid-19 managed to teach both me and the world.

1. God is the one in-charge, NOT US

One thing that I have leant for sure is the fact that no matter how much I plan, or you plan into the future God’s decision is the final. His plan is what eventually folds out in our lives. Would we have ever expected that once 2020 began the world would be taken over by an invisible, microscopic virus and it will continue on till 2021? No, for sure we didn’t expect such a thing. What sort if a question is that we live in the 21st century, the science we know is advanced, the money we have funding research is a huge, this was the mentality that many of us possessed. But Covid-19 shattered that! Pride had taken over our hearts and then God sent this virus. Proving that we are powerless. He is the Almighty making the calls on our life. This whole Covid-19 situation is a way in which God is showing us as to who exactly is in charge!

2. YOUR FAMILY IS MOST IMPORTANT

The Covid-19 virus also taught us of the value of our families. Most of 2020 was spent indoors due to lockdowns, this I spent with my family and many of you did too. No matter how many friends we had physically, no matter who we were, we had to go back to our families and quarantine together. The number of divorces after quarantine increased, families split because they didn’t know who exactly they were living with. Life pre-Covid was busy, and we barely had time for the people at home, but Covid taught us that no matter what happens, despite the position at your workplace or the number of followers you have on social media, in times of difficulty only your family was going to stick by you. Covid-19 made you take a good look at your roots and your core.

3. THE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Technology. If we ever had a debate at school with regards to this topic the opposition always felt like they had the upper hand, technology has been something that many feature under the red light, but the pandemic taught us otherwise. Technology most certainly has its advantages. It was our sole source of communication during the pandemic. Basically, it helped to keep the busy world running. Businesses shifted online and so did school. The positive side of social media emerged, with worthy causes being thrown onto the spotlight like the Black Lives Matter movement. I even shopped online for the first time for the purpose of clothing during the pandemic, well the shopping didn’t exactly go too well because I got down the wrong size and then had to do returns and stuff, but it wasn’t too bad. Some countries even used the aid of technology to fight Covid-19.

4. Your Greatest Wealth is your Health

Covid-19 made us realize that no matter how wealthy we were it wasn’t going to stop for us. It actually made us all feel equal in some sense, Covid-19 didn’t stop if you were wealthy, didn’t stop because of your skin colour, nor did it stop infecting people of a certain religion. In the eyes of Covid-19 every human was equal. During Covid-19 we understood that our health needs to be given the utmost importance if we wanted our bodies to show some sort of resistance to this virus. We realized that being healthy/ free from this illness, was better than simply being rich.

5. We learnt to appreciate the Tiny Blessings in life

I learnt to appreciate the tiniest things in life. The oxygen supply that nature gives me for free. The car rides to the grocery store. Going to school to see my friends and teachers. The feeling of seeing new buildings popping up in the neighborhood. Being able to breathe freely after climbing a huge flight of stairs. The fact that I was able to travel to other countries. The afternoon strolls. And soo much more, each day I find something new to appreciate and be grateful for.

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The past year hasn’t been easy for many of us and I am making an effort to see the color in all this darkness. The whole purpose of this post was to make you feel better and have hope that we are nearing the light at the end of the dark tunnel. As I type people are struggling to breathe and loved ones are losing their family to Covid-19. Let us stay home and stay safe. Continue praying for the Palestinians and also pray for Southeast and east Asian countries as Covid-19 seems to be spiraling out of control!

Till next time, signing off…