A LETTER TO MY FORMER SELF

This is my 7th week in isolation. The last time I was outside was on Friday 20th March 2020. I remember sitting in my office cubicle starting to feel a little unsafe. Whispers of pandemic was starting to infiltrate every nook and corner of our lives. My ears were glued to the next piece of information pouring in regarding the pandemic and as people started to show symptoms, floors and floors began to be vacated and finally work from home orders were issued. That was the beginning and in the ensuing weeks since then, everything has changed. I thank my stars everyday for the comfortable position I am in, my living situation is fine, my society has ample space to evening walks, we have all the essentials nearby and work has been a steady distraction. I’ve tried to fill my free time with meaningful activities and as I sit down planning my next project (coming soon!), I cannot help but wonder how this global pandemic might change the way of the world. Our lives will never be the same again, human to human interactions will never be the same. While the pandemic has in the least affected our foresight, it has given me a chance to reflect on my former self.

Dear Former me,

I wish you could take a glimpse into the future and see how fragile life is and how beautiful life is right now, in this MOMENT.

A watershed event like this gives us perspective, and perspective is a powerful thing. My perspectives often are in the form of gratitude and realization. It clears the clutter I’ve carried within myself day-in and day-out that are not worth my time and worry, the things that actually matter are the health of my family, the health and happiness of my boyfriend, the wellness of my friends, the stability of our future, the longevity of our career, the safety of those around me. That is what matters.

What I have learned now that I wish I could tell my former self is this. Don’t take this world for granted. I try to feel gratitude daily for my health and my family’s health, the career I’ve built for myself and the opportunities I’ve gained. I often wonder if I held the same appreciation before, did I do enough to enjoy all the wonderfulness around me? We often understand the importance of things, of moments only when they are long gone, we never usually digest a wonderful situation until later, when we are no longer there. Now, I can only look back and see how ridiculous I was to not realize that the most important things in life are staring us in the face.

I hope when normalcy resumes, we remember these moments with gratitude, to take time and digest wonderful moments, to appreciate the little things that we take for granted, and to dismiss any thoughts and worries that we will no longer remember in a matter of days. The global pandemic has affected everyone's lives to varying degrees, I just hope that it can teach us more kindness, more appreciation, more gratitude and more love.