Nobody Knew it Was Coming, But When it Did, it Changed Us All

Nobody knew it was coming, because if we had known, we would have thought it was a script from a science fiction movie. For those who always wanted to be part of a movie, the opportunity knocked at their doors. For those who do not even like science fiction, this time served as an opportunity to either change their minds, or to confirm their dislike for science fiction.     `

It was a cold day in December of 2019, the idea of Christmas coming and having the opportunity to spend some days together as a family was really making my heart smile. Then, we heard about the “bat soup”, and we learned that people in China had been infected with a disease and that the illness was spreading rapidly all over the world.

In February 2020, people were wondering what would happen if the illness known as Covid19 reached our beloved country. Some people did not believe it was really happening, while others became anxious about the future. Among this overwhelming uncertainty, the only given was that all humanity was affected by this virus that became a pandemic.

Major news broke, and a different world would be written.

Using social media, I remember asking my friends what their thoughts were about the new world that was opening another door for us. I asked my friends how they thought this pandemic would change our lives. While I got many laughs from their responses, many others did not even answer. There was also the third group who thought nothing was going to change, and that my prediction stemmed from watching too many movies.

Like many old-world stories, this is one that has begun to repeat itself. Let us refresh our memories to hundred years ago when the world was ravaged by the Spanish flu, HIV/AIDS (2005-2012), various flu pandemics (1956-1968), and even cholera and other plagues since AD times. Hopefully now, the people of this world have learned from those terrible experiences…or at least I certainly hope so.

The guidelines to overcoming a pandemic are the same to ancient times: wash your hands, keep your distance, and stay home if you are sick.

I believe that everything has its positive and negative side. This 2020 pandemic has really affected every single person in one way or another, and it is human nature to want to focus more about the bad things happening than the good ones. I, however, always try to look at the positive side.

We live in a world where we have learned to be thankful for many things that we used to take for granted. Hugging and kissing are another way of feeding our hearts, and the most important things are those that we already had: our family, our friends, and that the time we spend together. Those will be the richest thing we can leave in this world when that time comes for us to say our own goodbye.

We have learned that if there is something to be afraid of, it is not being able to hug those who cry, those who are not as strong as we are, those have lost a dear family member. We have learned we are never too old to keep learning either zoom, crafts, cooking or baking, because is at home where we really create, share, learn and love.

Let us leave footprints for others to follow instead of scars in those hearts that cross our path.

Yes! A different world is been written.