Thoughts during Self -Isolation
Life is fragile. We humans are fragile. It takes one microscopic virus to turn our world upside down.
Our people are dying under their caregivers’ helpless watch. I can’t imagine the frustration that doctors, nurses and volunteers must feel, when they see so many lives slipping through their fingers on a daily basis. I can’t imagine the joy either, when a patient recovers and is sent home.
Our economy is fragile. The economy is sustained on us, humans, and our fragility transcends our human nature. Many companies have no other way than to reduce their teams because they can’t afford the cost, or just shut down altogether. Companies are therefore fragile too. I am extremely lucky to work for a company that makes its employees a priority and has the means to do so, but not everybody is.
Solidarity is real. There is an immense amount of acts of kindness and of true selflessness that we see every day. From retired doctors taking back their duties while exposing themselves, to non medical companies producing medical equipment, to hotel owners providing space for improvised hospitals… There are people singing in their balconies to alleviate the loneliness of some, or grocery shopping for their most vulnerable neighbours.
Selfishness is also real. I can only assume that the people who still fill the beaches, or crowd the parks have some degree of misinformation and can’t understand the repercussion of their inability to stay at home. Maybe they are not selfish but scared, or misguided by their leaders. Who knows.
Humans are fragile, yes, but amazing too. I see it in my husband who is a super hero in action, juggling quarantine with three kids, his job, household duties, taking care of me while I self-isolate and being there for others in the distance. I know there are many husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, siblings, nieces, nephews, caregivers, neighbours, doctors, army men…bringing out their super hero capes in this time of crisis.
We have so much to be thankful for. Our health for one. Our families, our jobs, our friends, our neighbours…We can use these days to reflect on that, and to get ready to come out of this as a better person.
