The current pandemic is an awful thing and the worst part about it is that we humans brought it upon ourselves. Our disregard for the planet on which we live and the creatures with which we share it is why we are in this mess.
"When we save other creatures we are actually saving ourselves. It's really how we treat the least amongst us that will determine our own fate." Joel Sartore
But, as with any crisis, there are positives.
A former colleague and close friend who I nowadays only lunch with about once a year texted me very early on to say if we needed anything we only had to let her know and she'd deliver it to us.
Another former colleague who is in her 80s is having shopping delivered by a friend and also has a former colleague keeping an eye out for her and making sure she's OK.
Just two of millions of examples of kindness occurring around the world.
Many of my Instagram friends are demonstrating their inventiveness and skills with a wide range of photos and other crafts and hobbies.
And there has been a tendency for posts to concentrate on life's positives and the beauties of nature.
Children everywhere are being taught the importance of those who provide caring and health services. They are creating and exhibiting rainbows to let passers-by know that this too shall pass. They are realising how essential some of our other services are like postal workers and delivery people. And in many cases they are spending valuable time with their parents of which they would normally be robbed by their mums and dads working.
No, I'm not forgetting all the families who are grieving at the loss of a loved one or the fact that medically the worst may be yet to come. Nor can one ignore how hard our health workers are having to work and the risks they are taking. And then there'll be the economic crisis for us all to get through.
But one thing has been made obvious - we are all in this together. Male, female, black, white, gay, heterosexual, Christian, Muslim, conservative, socialist, British, European, Chinese, and all other shades of origin, culture, etc. We are being drawn together to serve mankind as a whole.
Let us stay together once this pandemic is history and let us see a world that has changed for the better.
It would be a relief to know that at least some good comes from all of this. How we and the world around us will have changed (on the long run, not just in a short-lived way) remains, of course, to be seen.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and yours are well, John!
It is a call to change everything, and i hope we do. Dying with the most toys can't be our top priority any more.
ReplyDeleteYES!
ReplyDeleteThere is always a good side to any of the traumas we must face. Thank you for noting this.
ReplyDeleteHere in nyc we are doing our best to maintain social distancing and help each other. But of course it is very difficult with so many people unemployed and struggling. If only the whole world could join together and cooperate with each other. We really are all in this together.
ReplyDeleteI've pondered this for a few days now because I wanted to be my naturally positive self. I wonder in the economic turmoil that is going to follow all this how long we will remember all the good that people are doing and how quickly some will quickly forget as other things take over. Unfortunately I'm not as optimistic as I would like to be.
ReplyDeleteAs a healthcare worker I've seen many examples of kindness, caring, and love of helping others at risk of getting sick themselves. Families have been brought closer and hopefully those that need it will get extra help. Stay safe there across the pond!
ReplyDeleteI often wonder how we will remember this time and how quickly we will forget anything or everything that we have learned from it.
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