Those over-human times

Whether you are rich or poor, smart or smarter, famous or not, we are all in this together, I am speaking about the hard times that started to worsen with the COVID 19 pandemic

When it all started, we all agreed that this is a time to value life, and know exactly how to cherish each moment that we never valued correctly. We all had these novelty moments where we spoke about the greatness of life and about how humanity is all about the relations between us and those simple nights of random talks with the people you loved, well, we were just saying.

As a matter of fact, we never knew what we were talking about, we just needed some validation, and we all said heroic words, to make ourselves think we are comfortable with the situation and to seem ready to cope with any hard challenge. Then, day after day, the room looked smaller, and homes started to feel like traps. The relationships we overvalued in the first days of the quarantine never actually got better, you see, we had all the free time we need, yet we barely called old friends, and never had the courage to dress up and video call a relative.

We got so confused between which side to benefit from during the lockdown, benefit from the quarantine to sleep more and take the long-needed break? or benefit from the quarantine to work more or achieve all the overdue tasks?

Then, one day, I looked at the calendar and I was shocked about the truth. In fact, I never lacked time, I lacked discipline, it was then that the quarantine really started to teach me. I learned that the wise quotes we said the first week were just a show-off, and that the real lessons were hidden inside waiting to be blushed out of our unconsciousness.

It was only then that I understood the words we said the first week, the small talks with friends, the fights to stay in each others’ lives, the traffic jam, the Good morning I received from strangers, the random smile sent from a random friend in the morning before a long day. Never to forget the smell of coffee when I enter a colleague’s office, or the sound of cars starting in the early morning. Close your eyes, do you remember when you had to wait in your car because the red sign went on a second before you cross? Then you look around and see kids excited to go to school?

Would you be excited about the first day of work after this is over? Will you smile to the driver next to you instead of beeping for no reason? Will you value the ability to drive and go out to work early so you never have to drive in rush? Will you value saluting your colleagues and having talks about life in your breaks?

All these lessons are beautiful, enriching, and necessary, but learned one in particular. It was that all of us need consolation because we all have a breaking point. Every lion will roar of pain one day. And in the deepest times of desperation, you will learn that a hand of hope, is worth more than millions in banks. Now switch roles, imagine you are the hand of hope who will pull you desperate friend out of a deep well, will you be worth more than millions to him? Of course not, you will be priceless.

So for every moment of pride, every smile you draw on someone’s face, every adrenaline rush you get, and every drop of love you give, you ARE.

Now look differently, remember that you are loved and that you are always somebody’s reason to smile. And only then, things will be as they never were. Remember, as a wise man once said: A small act of kindness creates an endless ripple, that comes back to you.

Joe J. El Housseini

Christ Is Risen! Fear no more!