May 15, 2020

Like most, I’ve been riding a pretty intense rollercoaster since the commencement of COVID-19. The unrelenting tornado of information pertaining to positive cases, rising death tolls, government regulations, and propaganda that whirled through my social media newsfeeds forced me to implement the emergency response plan I learned about in elementary school. During those initial few weeks, you’d have found me hiding underneath door frames with my ears tucked between my knees and my hands strategically placed on top of my head. The majority of the articles I read about embracing the abnormality of a pandemic assured me that endless hours of Netflix, excessive Cadbury Mini Egg consumption, and the occasional shower were completely rational and acceptable approaches to handling the crisis. 

I’ve since emerged from my hiding spot to find it no less scary with a view. But reading stories of front line workers who are going above and beyond to ensure the health and safety of our communities has provided me with a glimmer of hope. Creative projects are filling my social media newsfeeds, and I’m learning about the amazing talents and abilities that live within the people I know. Videos of strangers going the extra mile to acknowledge and appreciate loved ones are tugging at my insides, and I’m seeing neighbours, communities and organizations band together to support those experiencing hardship around the world. Themes of unity, solidarity, kindness, and compassion are overshadowing the negativity running rampant in news stories, and my faith in the connectedness of our global population has begun its restoration.  

What a bizarre time. I’m no stranger to the need for human connection, but this pandemic has certainly brought to light the severity of its importance. I miss being in the presence of my family and friends. I miss a handshake and a good hug. I miss a belly laugh together in a room full of great company. I miss walking by strangers without exchanging an awkward glance or having to carve out a new route off the path to avoid being too close. I miss the buzz in a restaurant, carpool karaoke sessions, and the chit-chat that happened on the daily – with the gas attendant, the waitress, the colleagues, the grocery store clerk, the neighbour, and the local business owner. 

We’ve all lost a bit of the lives we’d grown so accustomed to. For a lot of us, our normal routines have come to a screeching halt. Most of the things that we were once well acquainted with – human interaction, a packed schedule, our ability to maintain some semblance of control – virtually disappeared from our lives overnight. But if there’s one thing I’ve come to learn, through childhood games of hide and seek, and the shedding and collecting of layers of life, it’s that when something goes missing, there’s always something to be found. Entangled in the chaotic progression of this pandemic is a handful of incredibly valuable takeaways, and as the initial overwhelm subsides, I think the majority of us are beginning to realize that.

This temporary economic suspension has forced us all into our hiding spots for a time out. Our focus has shifted to providing care and support to those who are suffering; appreciating the newly found time we have to get reacquainted with ourselves, our loved ones, and the communities we’re a part of; and nurturing our bodies in a way that helps to maintain optimal health.  The world is taking a collective deep breath, and it’s allowing us to strip back the complexity of our lives to unveil what’s significant and important – love, health, spirit, and connection. 

I’ve had the opportunity to speak with friends who are scattered in a variety of locations across the globe, both to ensure their well-being and to get first-hand accounts of how communities around the world are handling the pandemic. Some have expressed great pride in the response of their countries, and have full confidence in the involvement of their governments. Others spoke about food security, health care limitations, a lack of government assistance, and a growing concern for how their families would survive if this lasts longer than a couple of months.  It’s unsettling to think about those who don’t have access to the resources they need to weather a storm like this. It’s irrefutably unjust, and illuminates how broken some of the systems that exist on this planet truly are. 

I often wonder if the metaphorical virus that’s been waging war on our shared humanity for so long – the one that strokes ego, cultivates greed, and blurs our understanding of the duties associated with privilege, will continue to spread unnoticed after this pandemic dissipates. I worry that the opportunity for this global experience to morph into the catalyst for such desperately needed change might go unrealized. But as the weeks unravel, and we collectively wade through the depths of these murky waters, I’m beginning to believe that won’t be the case. There seems to be a general understanding that the way we were operating before this pandemic hit wasn’t in line with who we are, and we’ve started to question our habits, decisions, and the beliefs we harbour. The desire to return to ‘normal’ has been hindered by these revelations, and that’s completely understandable – we’ve never been so unified in accomplishing a shared global goal. On a planet that has historically  been so well acquainted with divisiveness, imbalance, inequity, and difference, we’re being forced to consider and add significant weight to our shared humanity. That’s a beautiful thing.  

We have an incredible opportunity right now to shape our culture moving forward – to shake up failing systems; to inject greater kindness and compassion into the fabric of our society; to reduce our consumptive habits; to curate empathy and connect on a deeper level; and to invest in the restoration of a planet that’s nurtured and sustained us.

I think the most profound takeaway I’ve extracted from this stillness is the rediscovery of how much power lies in my ability to choose. I get to actively decide what I want my response to this to be; what I hold onto and what I let go of.  I have the opportunity to make intentional decisions about where to focus my energy; how to spend my time;  how to engage with others; where to invest my dollars to have my voice heard; and what I want to stand up and fight for. 

When future generations look back in the history books, I hope they’re able to see that we used this pandemic as an opportunity to reflect on our place in this world and how we interact within it. I hope there’s evidence that we rallied as a global community and shifted our trajectory to line up with a more promising future. I hope they applaud us for deciding to place a greater emphasis on creating equal space for everybody who occupies a piece of this planet; on supporting those who possess a capacity for love and a desire to experience an equitable opportunity to explore their potential; on living more harmoniously with our forests, rivers, mountains, rocks, and trees; on breaking bread and cultivating community; and on stripping back the complexities of our lives to unveil and appreciate the simplest forms of happy.