When Wuhan shared the COVID-19 outbreak, we conveniently chose to ignore the red flags until the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic.

Schools were shut down; corporate giants asked their employees worldwide to work from home; governments around the globe implemented international travel bans and lockdowns; businesses were impacted; the economy started to shake; and the health care industry dealt with its worst nightmare—the shortage of healthcare supplies.

Dude! The sh*t got real.  

The year 2020 will go down in history, for it’s hard to believe when science had already taken off to space, and people were buying tickets for space tours. Ironically, they didn’t have a clue as to how to counteract a deadly virus causing a fatal respiratory illness.

Some of our spiritual vegan friends got a chance to come out loud about this self-inflicted misery by mankind, claiming it to be nature’s wrath.

The world came to a pause. We were asked to stay home, and that’s when some of us got a chance to reflect upon the following:

1. Collective vulnerability.

It is no more your problem alone; it is mine too. As the virus was quite capable of crossing geographical boundaries and hard to contain, it gradually became a global concern and everyone’s business, for it now posed a serious threat to the entire human race.  

2. Empathy.

It felt more like a karmic lesson we all had to learn. As for once, we got a chance to put ourselves in the shoes of those thousands of refugees who have to flee their homeland to ensure their own safety and that of their families. 

3. Money can’t buy everything.

When the news of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson surfaced of them being tested positive of Covid, it further rooted our beliefs about the virus treating everyone equally and that we all stand an equal chance of becoming that rotten apple of the barrel regardless of our socioeconomic status.

4. Life simplified.

While stocking up on food and essentials, we realized that we only need the basics to survive. No one even remotely cared about planning their next luxurious vacation in Europe or anywhere for that matter. Many claimed that their humble abode is no less than a resort, which is something they realized only after being forced to stay at home.

5. Sense of goodwill.

The communal solidarity and sense of goodwill were boosted. From common men to celebrities, many came forward to contribute and to do their bit for the community. In the wake of this pandemic, healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, janitors, and others who risked their own lives and went beyond the call of duty are examples of real human awakening in the moment of crisis. 

We started praying and meditating. Our focus shifted toward our family and elders. We started enjoying home-cooked meals and the simplicity of life. It is when social distancing became the protocol that we understood the importance of socializing and how much we had taken for granted.

Old dusty board games came out. Unstructured free play for children became the norm. From world politics to spirituality, spouses started to have some real conversations.  

It was like an epiphany that being vulnerable taught us.

To look at hope in despair and not give up.

To acknowledge the awe-inspiring nature, ask for forgiveness, and pledge to restore its beauty by being more mindful.

Our vulnerability brought us on the same page to have a common dream, which is to survive, to respect, and to coexist.