A doctor, a nurse, first responders, a pharmacist, a news reporter, all are getting due respect and gratitude from everyone for their selfless work.
The word ‘hero’ has a new meaning
The people we always revered as heroes—actors, sportsmen, and other celebrities—are confined to their homes, while the ‘unsung heroes’ battle out the pandemic for us. A doctor, a nurse, first responders, a pharmacist, a news reporter, all are getting due respect and gratitude from everyone for their selfless work. They are working long hours fighting an unknown enemy, away from their families and loved ones, just so others can stay safe. They are the real heroes of our world. Let the Earth’s recovery from the pandemic not be the end of the respect for them, let this be the beginning.
A breather for the environment
As life came to a standstill all across the globe, nature began to heal.
The governments’ responsible and quick action to control the spread of the virus, slowed down the deterioration of the environment. Within a week of complete lockdown, reports, and pictures of pollution-free blue sky, free-flowing clean rivers began to circulate.
The pandemic is a wakeup call for us to reimagine a new world once the chaos is over. A world not just for us, but for wildlife as well. Living inside our comfortable homes, yet feeling trapped should make us all rethink the meaning of life next time we visit a zoo or pollute rivers.
The environmental changes we see are nothing but ‘accidental’. Now the onus in on us to maintain the purity of the environment. “The Nature is sending us a message,” says the UN’s environment chief, Inger Andersen. This time we will listen.
An outbreak of kindness
Even amid the deadly pandemic, we have witnessed a unifying act of humanity all across the globe. The COVID-19 statistics are worrying but the random acts of kindness are the bright light we all need in these times of darkness.
According to a 2014 study, shared pain works as a social glue, increasing cooperation. Be it the Italians singing from their balconies to Indians lighting candles on their doorways, the pandemic has knocked down the walls between communities.
People are rising above their petty issues, differences, and indifferent societal norms to help each other and uplift one another. While the changes are heart-warming, it raises a question: Will this stock of compassion continue to spring even when the crisis is over?
It all depends on us. American Buddhist Pema Chodron once said, “Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” The hope is for humanity to learn the difficult lessons taught by these hard times.
A shift in perspective
We may blame it on our conditioning or our innate nature, but we take many things for granted such as environment, our wellbeing, and our relationships.
The environment needs saving today because we didn’t care. The coronavirus outbreak that could have been avoided completely or contained at the right time is of our doing as well.
The COVID-19 outbreak has finally opened our eyes. A society that once emphasised on life being short and living on the edge has realised that the same life needs to be preserved. Mental health, a topic sparingly touched is now being talked about more freely as countless people are feeling the impact of this invisible disorder. Personal hygiene has become an integral part of our lives that will only become more prevalent with time.
The future is uncertain, but the possibilities of making a big change are in front of us. There will be conflicts, difficulties, and challenges along the way, but together we can make impossible possible. The only thing we need is to choose the right path, which can lead us to a more promising, and a brighter future.
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