"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." -William Penn
This was first written and shared on my Facebook page - 7 June 2020. Sharing it here on my website, one year later.
【Reflection】Dear Covid-19
Although there are so much negativity about Covid-19, there's also so much to be thankful for, and it happened because of you. Time is the best gift on Earth... And I am somewhat glad that 2020 has given everyone the chance to experience this, in one way or another.
Dear Covid-19,
I never knew streets could be so empty. The sight of rarely seen wildflowers, and the noticeable increase in butterflies has also delighted me, after not stepping out of the house for close to a month. Needless to mention, I rarely took time off busy schedules to notice the sunrises and sunsets before you came, to appreciate that they could be so beautiful.
With the more stringent measures announced every other day, all of us are advised to stay at home and many to continue to work from home. We had to make drastic changes to our lifestyle, and this is certainly a test of our resilience and sense of social responsibility.
Everyone could have their own ways to cope, and I guess, to each his own.
Some choose to seek solace through reading, baking, writing, cooking, gardening, or to dabble in the arts - painting, drawing, play a musical instrument, while other choose to spend more time with their family members, learn a new skill, exercise and workout, netflix, or play games on their computers and electronic devices, to list a few. These activities keep us positive and make us feel good.
We all need these little pockets of time with our loved ones, or alone. And probably one of the best ways to feel good about what we have, is to focus on what we have to give.
Helping others can give us a new outlook on the world and can assist us with positive thinking.
Thank you for also giving me more strength and hope to pull through all difficulties, with your little acts of kindness.
Throughout this tough period, my dearest family members and friends were safe and healthy. I occasionally visit the market to purchase groceries, with my mask on. I picked up old hobbies, like writing letters, strumming the ukulele and playing pieces on my 10 years old erhu. I started to enjoy doing household chores more, cause it's therapeutic and I exercise daily.
Also, I caught up with old friends whom I thought I have drifted apart because of our busy lives. It was because of you, that I decided to send a text to check on them and share some kind words. I have also learnt that I should never underestimate the power of a kind word, and so please, you reading this right now, do muster up courage to send a positive note to a friend whom you haven't been contacting, today.
Thank you for showing me all of these within a short period of time. In the meantime, I live each day with optimism and faith that we can all do this and create a better tomorrow, together.
Thank you for reminding us the value of these precious gifts - time, relationships and freedom - so priceless in the world, today.