Holistic Thoughts On Covid-19 Outbreak
There is no doubt that the Covid-19 outbreak is a crisis of a magnitude none of us experienced before. It is scary, trying and more than anything: TRAGIC on many levels.
On a personal scale, it is dramatic to anyone infected; devastating to anyone who lost a loved one to the disease, it is threatening and challenging financially to many.
On a larger scale, it is incredulous to learn how negligent our leadership has been in failing to anticipate the outbreak, how ill-prepared we are as a country to deal with a pandemic, how healthcare providers and doctors are forced to risk their lives to help the rest of us while unprotected.
(Call me crazy but when someone breaks a leg, we go to a doctor; when the faucet is leaking, we call a plumber and when the car breaks down, we call an auto mechanic. That’s logical, isn’t it? We’re dealing with a massive health crisis that’s already killed thousands of Americans, why not call on experts?! China and Singapore have successfully gotten the outbreak of Covid-19 under control. They’ve done something right and managed to contain the virus that is claiming so many lives in the U.S. as we speak, why aren’t we calling on China and Singapore to help us? Are we too arrogant?! Are we worried that a bit of humility in a time of need would threaten some trade deal?!)
On a global scale, we’ve experienced some sense of our smallness and interconnectedness in political emergencies that took place during the last 20 years. Now, we are learning that even though our hubris prevents us from seeing the world as one unit of shared destiny, as simple an organism as a virus recognizes and demonstrates that borders, race, nationality, economy and language notwithstanding we are one specie that can be easily infected and devastated.
A VIRUS makes mockery of us!
We’re learning right now from a virus no less that we shouldn’t build walls that separate us but one inclusive wall of shared knowledge and shared resources to protect us from global threats such as a pandemic or climate change.
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Back to right now, we’re dealing with fear and many of us live with the “stay-at-home” orders, some totally isolated. Because of the Covid-19 outbreak, we feel restricted, lonely, frightened and deprived.
We are all afraid of loss, suffering, loneliness, poverty and death. All we can do right now is to comply with official health guidelines, abide by social distancing rules and prepare to shelter-in-place or even self-quarantine.
Loneliness is optional, after all, we can still “socialize” Online or by phone, there is Internet, TV and books to keep us company. The prospect of poverty is scary, but if you survived until the Coronavirus struck, you’ll recover financially, after. Obsessive fear of death? (Could it be that you’re regretting not having achieved / or done something?…) As for fear of loss or suffering, these two are inherent to EVERY living being.
Is there anything you can do to feel better? YES! Apart from the obvious, taking care of yourself and your emotional wellbeing (meditate: meditation helps to control stress and will remind you that you’re alive), REMEMBER: giving what you need most to someone else is THE BEST medicine!
Ensure someone’s survival. (Check on an elderly neighbor, a laid off co-worker and see if they have some need, you could meet. Adopt a pet: with resources stretched thin right now, you may just have the power to save a pet’s life!)
Contribute to our collective survival. (As in sewing face masks, donating blood, volunteering to deliver meals or groceries to seniors, etc.)
Lift someone’s spirit by talking to them by phone or Online! Ease someone else’s fear of loss, suffering, loneliness, poverty or death. Tell them what you’re desperate to hear: “you’re not alone, I’m here for you; don’t think of the worst case scenario, it rarely comes to pass; protect yourself; we’ll get through it together; we’ll overcome it.” The horrors we’re witnessing, the deprivation we suffer, the sacrifices we make are TEMPORARY!
As a Humanist Reverend, I don’t believe in God-made miracles. But I do believe in people and the miracles we can bring about collectively and for one another. No virus can strip us of common sense, compassion or humanity. We can still be helpful, productive, inventive and above all HUMANE and COMPASSIONATE.
Circumstances notwithstanding, THIS is the time to think about making a better world. YOU matter. YOU have an important role to play. NOW is the time.
Hang in there. There is ALWAYS a light at the end of a tunnel. The scientists, doctors and healthcare workers, politicians, business and all of us together will bring Covid-19 to a halt. The new “normal” may be different than before Coronavirus. But life will resume. Maybe in a few months, maybe in a year or two, but it will.
Until then, stay safe, be healthy and yes, be your best!
Photo by Dimitri Karastelev on Unsplash
