April 19, 2021

An Optimistic View on The Pandemic

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Posted by Sharmarke Hujale

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4 min read

Everything happens for a reason. And I truly believe that.

Since the beginning of the global pandemic. We have been locked inside our homes—it feels like our freedom has been taken away from us.

We are being bombarded with new updates about how many have been infected with the virus. Gotten sick because of it. Some even died. And it hurts. Even more so when it's close family members or friends.

It has not been easy. The pandemic has forced us to think and act differently. To ultimately change the way we have operated almost everything in our lives.

During the first lockdown. We hoped that it would soon be over. But that wasn’t the case—and for most of us, we are in our second or third lockdown.

As mentioned above, our freedom has been taken away because of the global pandemic. And it doesn't settle well with us.

But we can always choose to see things from an optimistic point of view without closing our eyes to reality.

Being optimistic inspires hope for a brighter future.

Expressing Gratitude

I believe being grateful equals optimism. And it’s more than ever important to be grateful during these crazy times that we are living.

You know the saying “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone”. Though we feel our freedom has been taken away—it’s through being grateful that keeps us sane.

We have experienced more time with our family. Doing more passion projects. Fixing things that have been postponed for weeks if not years. Making time and space for reflection and contemplation. And the list goes on.

You can always find things to be grateful for. Your good health, wake up with a roof over your head, drink clean water every day, etc.

It's a matter of perspective—seeing the whole picture, not the pixel only.

I’m grateful for having my wife and family around. Even though there have been ups and downs. I couldn’t picture my life without them. I’m also grateful for my closest friends who are always there for me if I need something.

Being there for each other

The pandemic has taught me the importance of reaching out to friends and families.

With restriction comes limited social interactions. We can’t go out and visit the way we used to do before the pandemic.

My father is taking care of my grandmother who is old and sick. And It’s been weird not to visit my father as often as I would like to. Especially during the first wave at the beginning of 2020.

But something as simple as face-timing or calling through the phone will make a huge impact. I’m bad when it comes to calling. But it does wonder when we are able to strike a conversation despite not being there physically.

It doesn’t feel the same. But it would make the world for those who are not allowed to get out of the house because of the rules for isolation. Which was the case for my father.

With the pandemic, the world looks dark. But each of us has the power to bring light to someone’s world.

It’s okay to not feel okay

You probably have heard it before. But it couldn’t be more true. It’s okay to be sad about what’s going on in the world—also in our own lives. Experiencing conflict of emotions such as hope and sadness simultaneously can happen to any of us.

Getting married during a global pandemic was not easy in my case. It was stressful, and at times hopeless. It’s not easy to adjust a wedding to a global pandemic that’s unpredictable all the time. And with rules and regulations that keep changing.

I remember feeling sad about it. To the point where I felt I wanted to quit. Because of how overwhelming the experience was. It was a talk with my uncle whom I talked to about how I was feeling that helped me to have hope again.

Though it still was hard. I kept going. I ended up having one of the best times of my life despite the circumstances.

Through every struggle, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. If we truly believe that. We can always find hope in a messy world.

Our feelings are what make us human—even if they are contradicting each other. Let them flow. They are all a part of you.

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