Finding strength in dire times
On January 22nd, 2020, India witnessed its first covid case, something that nobody saw turning into a mass-killing machine within a year, taking away the lives of more than 2 Lakh near and dear ones. Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers- lost to the treacherous claws of this global pandemic, leaving thousands stranded, hopeless. With an active number of 20.3 Million cases, there’s a lack of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and vaccines to aid the country’s slowly dying population. And such, is the current scenario in India.
Imagine waking up to thousands of WhatsApp text messages, tweets and statuses and stories of people begging and pleading for ICU beds, ventilators, oxygen cylinders every day. Bots, NGOs, Helplines- clouded with requests and tears. Every time the phone rings, I pray that it’s not another bad news, that someone has recovered. It has been overwhelming, to hear the news of the deaths or even the tragic situation of colleagues and extended family members, who are unable to find any help or support from medical institutions. Hundreds and hundreds of phone calls being made every day, some even to the same place, over and over again, hoping for just one vacant bed, or just one oxygen cylinder. In moments like this, it’s hope which keeps us driving, which keeps us alive and breathing.
There’s no doubt that the dire situation today has drastically effected not just the victims of the disease, but also those who have been under isolation for a very long time. It is very difficult to not be stressed out by the increasing number of cases, by the fear of losing someone you love, by the thoughts of not getting to save them. But it is in times like this, that we must revive ourselves. We must not be affected by these thoughts, but channel our concerns into something positive, by helping ourselves and others. We must keep a healthy body and mind, and practice things that make us feel relaxed. We should try to distract ourselves, and perfect ourselves in our hobbies or even engage ourselves in day-to-day activities. We should consider this as a chance, to perfect ourselves, to come out as a better and improved version of ourselves. It is under pressure that we strive.
