ECQ and Anxieties

I am a homebuddy. But staying in the house 24/7 for almost 16 days now with the threat of a pandemic right outside the doorstep is way waaaaay different. Things are happening so fast. Sixteen days ago, I started working from home. Fourteen days ago, Community Quarantine was implemented which later on turned to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) two days after. That was quite a lot, isn't it? Is there a pause button?

This article will not discuss what COVID-19 or a pandemic is but I am writing to somehow validate your emotions. We all experience anxiety at some point. I am guilty of this too! "When will this end?," "What awaits me after this ECQ?," "Will I have enough supplies?," "Are our families doing okay?," "What can I do to make myself useful?," "Where can I extend help?," and many more. Notice that my concerns start in my own backyard, extending to my family and thinking entirely of  the community. Primarily because I can't help others if I myself is suffering on my own. In this time of turmoil, technology plays a great role. The connotation we had before on anything we see in the internet - that those are not raw emotions but rather fake and all made up, is not the case now. In actuality, we all depend on the connectivity bars of our broadband to make us feel that we are not alone in these challenging times. We are happy just by reading messages, hearing calls and seeing our loved ones on the other side of the screen. I came with the realization that face to face is still on top of the game but because of our resilience, of our desire to adapt to changing situations and somehow feel "normal," we are able to show and make others feel our true emotions even without being in the same room together.

Suddenly, beach trips and out of the country vacations are all on halt. What comprises of a trip outside the house is only to buy basic necessities at the supermarkets or pharmacies. Now, people are posting what they prepare and eat at home rather than the expensive food selections at known restaurants. I can still drink my favorite milktea and eat pizza through delivery but I need to set my expectation of consuming those at least two hours after I placed my order. At this day, inhaling fresh air means opening the windows or standing at the balcony only if applicable. Sometimes, I also ask myself, "Why did it have to happen now, at this form, to make us realize what we have and what we are lacking?" and that even on times of crisis, "Why do we have inequalities?"

We don't know when this will end or what we can expect after this is over but we have our weapons - hope and faith. We can always be contemplating if the items in our shelves will ever be enough to last us until the end of ECQ but I'm pretty much sure it has more than what others have (given that you have time to read this blog is a sign). We can constantly dwell on our families' condition but we can check on them everyday - a call or text will do. Isolation can make us feel worthless but it isn't always the case. We can write comforting letters since a group of people are collecting it for them to print and send out to patients. We can donate however small we have to reliable organizations that can be used to buy food and medical supplies for "frontliners" or financial support to those who are in a "no work, no pay" situation. We don't have to think so much about what we can do to help because there are so many options to choose from. Watch or read the news, stay at home and practice social distancing. We can all do this right? If it is not too much to ask, whatever your religion is and whether you have one or none, say a little prayer too to those who lost their lives or are currently fighting for theirs. At the end of the day, we see numbers and tallies on the screen but always remember that there is a life behind those.

Lastly, don't let loose of your light. However dim, it can still be seen in this dark alley we are all in. Who knows, that tiny flicker can inspire all other bulbs to open theirs and dare to say, "we can still do better this 2020."