We can no longer go to church. Family gatherings are anathema. A comforting hug is no longer allowed. Smiles can’t be seen because everyone is masked. Solitude. Social distancing. There is so much to name.
We know, all too well, the ways Covid-19 has injured our society. If we weren’t already aware of the negative effects, the media would make sure we became aware. Day and night, the tragic aspects of the pandemic are shouted to us from televisions and radios.
But what if we were to do something revolutionary with this frightening disease? How about taking the global catastrophe known as Covid-19 (Coronavirus) and asking ourselves how it has helped us as a society? It is time to acknowledge more than the damage this virus can do. It’s time to look at what it gave us – what it taught us.
1. People Can Be Unselfish
We see so many “dark” shows and movies being made. Then, the news comes on with its way of deciding what is important news – “if it bleeds, it leads”. After a while, it becomes easy to believe that people are essentially selfish and cruel. One lesson learned from Covid 19 is that people can be unselfish, thinking of others before their own wants and desires. How? This virus grabbed our world by the throat and said, “Be considerate or let it get out of hand.” Most people chose to be considerate and think as a whole. Instead of thinking only of themselves and their needs, they become one big community pulling together as a team.
2. People Will Find a Way to Care
Although we can’t touch or hug, people will find a way to care. It might be by standing outside a retirement center with signs saying nice things. Or taking up letter writing again. Or singing. Or giving things we don’t need to those who need them so much now. We find a way to say, “I care about this world. I care about you.”
3. Heroes Come in All Shapes and Sizes
Sure, the words have been said before, but with Covid-19, the reality has come home with force. From people working to care for the sick, to those who help accommodate the dead, to those who endure quarantine. Heroism has changed shape as needed during the pandemic.
If a movie character or celebrity was your biggest hero, now you can see that anyone can be a hero. In this situation, the biggest heroes are those who work with this virus and save human lives – doctors, nurses, and all medical staff.
4. There Are Times When You Just Have to Grow Up
At first, this doesn’t seem like a very positive lesson to learn, but it is. Unfortunately, it can be a rather painful one, as well, but once growth has taken place, the pain passes, and life improves on many fronts.
We all know that being quarantined hasn’t been easy. Learning to wear a mask and be separate from other people wasn’t easy either. But it has been a time of maturing, and it has been good for us. Maturing is not a question of age, but of awareness.
5. A Smile Can Happen With More Than a Mouth
We tended to rely before on watching the corners of a person’s mouth curve up. Now we know that a smile is much more than that. A smile is a certain nod of the head, a happy way the skin crinkles around the eyes, or a friendly wave. Sometimes a smile a just a feeling, and kind of energy sent from one person to another. We have become more sensitive to smiles, even though part of our face is covered by a facemask. This is one of the best lessons because we have learned to be more open to the emotions and vibrations that are around us. You don’t have to see a smile, just feel it.
6. Being Alone isn’t All Bad
When the only person you can be with is yourself, you have to learn to accept who you are. Even the dark places. Once you can learn to love and forgive yourself, it is easier to love and forgive others.
After all, being alone is not that bad. You will become stronger, you will have more confidence in yourself, and you may learn something you would not otherwise learn, such as cooking or a new language.
Read also: 9 Great Things To Do In Quarantine & While Social Distancing
7.There is Truly Beneficial Information on the Internet
It was beginning to seem as if the internet was just some place for people to have illicit affairs, spout opinions, and watch movies – some with questionable quality. During Covid-19, it was a time of finding new things to learn, and the internet stepped up to the plate, with everything from music lessons to exercise classes. In addition, the Internet gives us a chance to communicate with our loved ones that we cannot see now.
People Are Important. Period.
A person isn’t more important because they have a big paycheck. They aren’t less important because they have different shading to their skin. And they aren’t easy to ignore because a large portion of their life is behind them. They aren’t better for any reason, or not as good for any reason.
People are important. Even precious. When we can be around each other, hold one another, shake a hand, and introduce ourselves – this is a great privilege. Because all people are important. The coronavirus period taught us to appreciate things we did not appreciate before and to perceive more what we had previously overlooked.
It was and still is undoubtedly a sad and dark time, but just as the stars cannot shine without darkness, there are lessons that we would not have learned without this sad event.
