Amid the widespread anxiety, suffering and panic wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, it is heartening to heed positive lessons people say they have learned from the turmoil.
While most of the world felt overwhelmed when Covid-19 broke through their borders — shocked by the unimaginable turn of events to say the least — others with a more optimistic outlook even discovered “blessings in disguise” from experiences of the last two and a half months.
Could any of these lessons been blessings for you too?
Learned resourcefulness
The sudden and unexpected loss of one’s regular job forced many to be resourceful.
Pushed out of their comfort zone, many affected breadwinners say they tried to reach out for ways they had not tried before. To their surprise, opportunities could be just around the corner: A jeepney driver who used to ply passenger routes found a new job driving a delivery van carrying fruits and vegetables.
It redefined money’s true worth
Those who had enjoyed financial stability might have had the shock of their lives when businesses were forced to close down, and normal daily activities came to a halt. Suddenly, the road hit a dead end. Though used to earning more than average, to them money mattered little, if at all now.
“It helped me realize more that during times of health crisis, money offers very limited protection. Money is useless when there are no alcohol, face masks or hospital beds available,” remarked Normito Zapata Jr., assistant professor at UP Los Baños.
Suddenly, everyone is praying harder than ever
With death staring us in the face, who wouldn’t turn to prayer as a desperate resort? My high school batch mates had thus converted our Messenger chat group into a prayer tabloid. Since the onset of Covid-19, never had I seen people praying so hard. Suddenly, we have included God in our chat linkup! Collective piety at its best?
Also, situations like this have made us realize all the more the importance of group support. Imagine getting comforting messages online from friends and relatives from all over the world. Suddenly, we felt like meeting together and holding each other in the most turbulent times we ever knew.
Doers who make the difference
A sure and timely blessing we should be thankful for are decisive government leaders who proved to be active doers, not just plain thinkers (and talkers too).
Even in front of the TV camera, the doers are never at a loss for clear explanations of what they have done or are doing about the situation. Plain thinkers talk of plans; doers talk of action and results.
The doers inspire us into positive action and cooperation. They’re the heroes of the moment. They’re the architects of our survival. It paid well for the populace to comply with those leaders’ regulations.
Champions of self-sacrifice
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, special sympathies were poured upon a heretofore seldom-valued group of professionals — doctors, nurses, hospital personnel and other health workers.
Called frontliners in a battle against the deadly but invisible enemy, quietly they labored for long and tedious hours caring for the fast-increasing number of pandemic victims, both those who felt slight symptoms of the disease and those who finally tested positive to it.
In the process, a number of those hardworking souls got infected too. Very sadly, an alarming number had succumbed and died.
Truly they’re the undisputed champions of self-sacrifice. They save lives by risking theirs. Indeed, they must be the greatest blessings that ever came out of these times of distress.
And what of the other non-medical frontliners whose job was to keep order in the streets, so that most people would stay safe and well-fed in their homes? These included policemen, soldiers and government workers rendering round-the-clock public service.
Food producers and handlers, those directly responsible for the timely delivery of food, medicine, groceries and other essential supplies and services — they are, no doubt, among the unsung heroes of today’s crisis too.
A surge of Good Samaritans
Amazingly, times of extreme need are drawing out “Good Samaritans” in a magnitude seldom seen before.
As government authorities are caught up in red tape that delayed the distribution of relief goods and money aid to the needy, not a few private individuals have taken it upon themselves to come to the rescue in their own unique ways.
Out of their own pockets — or more aptly, out of their own treasure vaults — they went out of their way to distribute relief goods consisting of rice, canned goods and basic supplies. Their initiatives have inspired other like-hearted ones to follow suit.
Your house, a home at last, once more
Perhaps, the most common blessing that must have come out of the current health crisis is the experience of families to rediscover the bond that had eluded them for so long.
Parents devoted to earning a living suddenly found so much time to spend with their children at home. Before this, how often had mom and dad dined together with the kids at home, trading stories and jokes, hearing each other’s laughter, feeling once more the warmth only times of togetherness like these can bring?
Marian Pausanos, a young working mother connected with Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines, rejoiced in finding once more the joys of family bonding.
“My personal blessing is about my family,” Pausanos disclosed. “Now, I can see them wake up, have meals with them, and share their hobbies. I have more time to talk to my husband about more important things, and teach my children about most valuable things.”
On the impact of Covid-19 on family life, Bill Gates was quoted by The Sun as saying, “It is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how much we have neglected this. It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our home and to strengthen our family unit.”
Reduced spending
Simply staying indoors the whole day is giving way to another blessing — reduced or zero spending. Since no one is allowed to go out except to buy food, groceries or medicine, imagine the tremendous savings in transport fares or gasoline for the average household. Eating out is out of the question. Home-cooked meals are cheaper, yet very likely healthier and safer too. Malls were closed, and that meant no reasons for the kids — and their parents as well — to go on shopping sprees.
Near-zero crime rate
Not surprisingly, the widespread lockdowns in the metropolis and elsewhere drove the crime rate down to near-zero. Criminals were practically driven out of business.
Who would dare find someone to rob when no living souls were roaming the streets? And how would akyat-bahay thieves break into houses when everybody is locked up in their homes 24/7? Banks remain open, but who would try a bank robbery with most city borders blocked with heavily guarded checkpoints?
Near-zero pollution
With public transport gone and very few private vehicles allowed on the road, and with shops and factories closed, it was no miracle that industrial pollution in most parts of the country went down to almost zero. Newsmen had a field day reporting “cleaner air and bluer skies” as far as the eye can see.
Lessons in public discipline and order
When the pandemic appeared running out of control, people were thrown into panic and disorder. But when authorities resorted to ironclad measures such as lockdowns and social distancing, a semblance of public discipline followed. Where lives are at stake, accepting such restrictions could mean the difference between life and death.
As the Good Book tells us, “The wise-hearted person will accept instructions.” (Proverbs 10:8) “The one who heeds discipline is a path to life.” (Proverbs 10:17)
Humbled but not crushed
If we had lived a life of plenty and comfort before, but suddenly got lost in the ensuing deprivations of this crisis, we should feel humbled but not crushed.
“It is reminding us to keep our egos in check,” Bill Gates went on saying. “It is reminding us that no matter how great we think we are or how great others think we are, a virus can bring our world to a standstill.
“It is reminding us that the power of freewill is in our hands. We can choose to cooperate and help each other, to share, to give, to support each other, or we can choose to be selfish, to hoard, to look only after ourselves. Indeed, it is difficulties that bring out our true colors.
“Whereas, many see the Covid-19 virus as a great disaster, I prefer to see it as a great corrector,” Gates asserted. “It is sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten and it is up to us if we will learn from them or not.”
All told, has not this experience of a world threat brought us wondering, “If we humans, no matter how technologically and materially advanced we are at this point in history, are still this vulnerable and fragile, can we hope to survive more devastating threats to our existence in the near future?”
Those who look to a loving God for survival, rather than to themselves or to other men, should find this message from the Holy Book reassuring enough:
“Rather, Jehovah your God changed the curse into a blessing for you, because Jehovah your God loved you.” (Deuteronomy 23:5)
Necessarily, God’s protective blessings amid life-threatening situations are meant only for those who commit themselves to living in a way that pleases him.
“See, I am putting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you obey the commandments of Jehovah your God . . . and the curse if you do not obey the commandments of Jehovah your God and you turn aside from the way I am commanding you to follow today . . .” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
For comments, email the author at mcsucquitjr@yahoo.com.