The Best Way Forward…

Dear Readers,

Wow! And just like that we’re in December – the end of the year. Undoubtedly, 2020 will go down in history as the ‘Year of the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic’. Even as people across the world hope with all their hearts that the end of the year will mark, at least the start of the end of the pandemic, we know that we are still a long way from home.

Speaking to a curious nine-year-old last week, I realised that we all shared her exact same question, “But when will all of this end so I can go out freely?” And similarly, my answer, “Soon,” did absolutely nothing for her, like it doesn’t for the rest of us. Over the past eight months, we’ve pondered this question ad nauseum – ‘When will this end?’ While the news of the vaccine becoming available over the next few months gives some relief, the worldwide spikes in the number of cases, with countries locking down again due to second, third and fourth waves of the virus, pushes back our hopefulness.

Even expert opinions seem divided. Some believe that the virus could be in decline and under control by the second half of 2021, and that we could revert to our ‘pre-Covid normal’ within two years, with a slight variance. However, some scientists say it’s impossible to put a date on it – that would be akin to staring into a crystal ball as the virus is here for a much, much longer time; and that vaccines are more of a ‘preventive’, as opposed to a ‘corrective’ measure. Circumspect as this outlook is, it leaves people grappling with its open-ended inconclusivity.

While some of us would cling to the former opinion, some will see greater truth in the latter. But, let’s not get hung up on either forecasts – the one resounding lesson we’ve learnt during the pandemic is, to do our best – here and now; make the most of the present… even if it has to be with our masks on, clutching on to our sanitizer bottles and trading those warm hugs with friends for their smiles on our gizmo screens.

We weren’t able to predict the onset of the pandemic and maybe it will be gone in an equally unpredictable manner. Or maybe not. For here and now, let’s play the best game with the cards we’ve been dealt with. The best way forward in these times, lies in the words of the wise Buddha, “The secret of health, for both mind and body, is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

Have a good weekend!

– Anahita