When I woke up this morning, I heard something very odd, something I had not heard in a long time. It was the call of a cuckoo, it’s shrill distant voice echoing across the vast silence. I thought, why am I hearing this now? And I knew, it was because the cuckoo did not have to hide anymore. Because there was no one to be afraid of, no humans disturbing its peace.I smiled to myself, because after a long time, I was happy to be at home.
With the massive spread of the Covid-19 across the globe, several unprecedented new problems have arisen, causing major shutdowns of industries and conglomerates far and wide, with humans coming face to face with the most challenging situation ever. Agreed, it is tough, but from the beginning of time, Man has been facing all kinds of challenges, and will continue to do so until the final dawn of the sun on earth. What we have learnt every time is not just how to overcome the situation, but also to renew life as we know it. We not just survive, we learn how to thrive and to make the best out of the obstacles in our way.
Covid-19 has single handedly (pun intended) managed to put a full stop to all of mankind and it’s vast machinery of life. It has made people scared, anxious, mistrustful of any stranger less than six feet from us, and panicky of what life will be like in the coming months. Personally, I was really looking forward to celebrating my son’s first birthday coming up this year. Now I worry about whether I will even live to see that day. Everyday there are new messages on my phone, giving me constant updates of the latest victims of the virus, bogus life hacks, all sorts of prayers from all sorts of religions, people making jokes about the apocalyptic situation, and soothsayers predicting the end of the world.
But when I heard the cuckoo outside my window, I realised I did not have to worry about anything. In my heart, I just knew everything was going to be fine. Because right now, as of this moment, I am part of a global movement which will be remembered for years to come. This disease might have given rise to a lot of fear, but it has also given us a chance to stop this endless routine existence of ours. During ancient times, when the world has united like this, people have emerged from it stronger, happier and more aware of their own existence than ever before. We are in a state of war, admittedly against an unknown and unseen enemy, and the only way to fight it is to fall back, to defend rather than attack, to do nothing and still win. We are getting a chance to do something that no one has ever done before.
Even though it feels difficult for us to stay at home and not move out, reflect on how during this time, we are doing something incredible. If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of Mother Nature starting to breathe freely again. Since factories everywhere have stopped production, pollution is at an all time low. Millions of gallons of oil is being saved because no one is going anywhere. Trees are growing again, birds are filling up the sky, animals are roaming freely on the roads without fear. Crime around the globe is at all time low, and even the ozone layer is repairing itself. This dire situation has brought out the best and the worst in humanity, and people now truly know who their true friends are. All the wars have stopped, as people have all come to one side and held each other’s hands against this disease. All discriminations between gender, castes, class, creed, colour, religion, etc. have been abolished, and everyone has become equal, nothing but humans.
We are writing a new chapter in history. Whether we survive or not, the coming generations will always recall our sacrifices, our struggles and our pain, just like we do of our ancestors. They will sing songs in our praise, and memorials will be built in our honour. They will think of the humanity that we displayed in these trying times, of our kindness and our generosity, our courage and our determination. Our work will be lauded not just by our own people, but by every single survivor of this epidemic on Earth, even if all we do is Netflix and chill. Our work is hard, but whatever is to come, keep in mind that all we do is for a better tomorrow.
So go ahead, sit back and relax. Enjoy your time at home. Finish that book. Watch a movie. Pick up a hobby. Repair that thing you always left off for when you got the time. Learn a new skill. Pray to whatever power you believe in. Tell that person that you love them. Eat a meal without a care in the world. Revel in sleeping without an alarm. Help those in need by donating. Get to know your neighbours from a safe distance. Take a bubble bath. Write a story. Work out. Call that friend you haven’t talked to in ages. Feel the wind in your hair. Listen to the cuckoo outside your window. Savour the silence. Trust me, you are a hero.