HOW are you? I hope you are still holding on to hope eight months after the lockdown. A lot has changed in our lives hasn't it? By now, you may have already known someone who has been infected with Covid or unluckily like me, knew someone who died from it. Seriously, 2020 has been a year of pain and I can't begin to describe how awfully heartbreaking it has been!
So it's November and none of us are at the Memorial Park visiting our dearly departed loved ones. It is another stark reminder of how much Covid has changed our lives. It makes us realize how things have changed and that the new normal really is something new to us, an unfortunate "complication" brought about by the pandemic.
Quite honestly, I was not really surprised about this development. I expected something like this because we all know how we gather during All Saints and All Souls' Day. It is that one time every year when we all take the time to be with our family members who have passed on. It is also a time for reunion and for bonding both with family and friends.
It is one big party while commemorating the dead and sadly, to indulge in such during this time would be unwise. So we stay home and keep ourselves safe from contracting the virus for our sake, for our families and for everyone else. I know that sounds so blah, but we need to uphold our health protocols because our numbers have been going up the past few weeks. I'm sure you noticed the rise in numbers lately, right? The pandemic is not a hoax and we are equally responsible for everyone's safety from it.
If you ask me, it's okay not to be okay during these times. It has been nothing short of challenging. The things we went through so far have been discouraging and disarming so it's understandable to feel disenchanted with life.
But-- we should not wallow in it. We should find our strength and rise from this sinking feeling. We should continue to appreciate life and be grateful for the things that make us smile. We need to be hopeful for the future so we can find light and let it shine on us, instead of staying in the shadows. All things are possible if we have faith and if we work together. We should remain steadfast and strong.
I know our dearly departed will understand the changes in our daily lives. They won't feel bad or neglected that we are not with them today. What's important is they are where they deserve to be, in our hearts and minds forever.