When I read the news about the first confirmed case of COVID 19 in Myanmar, I panicked. Since I live alone in Yangon, I felt helpless and called my mom in the middle of the night to talk about it. I couldn’t fall asleep that whole night. I kept thinking about all the worst possible scenarios that this pandemic could lead to. I think it is a very common reaction many of us have when we hear that this pandemic has entered our country, our city, and our village.
We don’t know what will happen to us or to the people we love and care about. We worry if we will lose our job. We don’t know when this pandemic may end or if it will ever end at all. These uncertainties make us vulnerable and lead to panic. Just like everybody else, I, too, felt the same way.
However, this uncertainty is giving me something valuable, too. It has been over a month now since I heard COVID-19 is slowly spreading throughout the country and it has been 3 weeks now since I stopped following any major news sources about COVID-19. I have now realized the good part of working from home. I run an organization called Purple Feminists Group and I had to redo our work-plan because our initial plans are canceled by this pandemic. Which is to say it taught me to be creative and flexible with my work plan.
Regarding my personal life, I read more. I started taking online classes on Skillshare.com to learn new skills. (I encourage everyone to sign up for this because it has two-month free trials). Sometimes with the help of YouTube and other times with my mother’s tips, I am cooking meals that bring me joy. I put an effort to call and message my friends and family through social media more regularly than before because I am not sure if I will ever get a chance to meet them again. I can save up the money that I used to spend on socializing or entertainment reasons. Every morning, the first thing I do is Yoga. It makes me feel young and brainy.
I still allow myself to feel worried and panic about this uncertainty but that is not the only thing I do now. I dance, I eat, I write, I work, and I sleep with joy. I want myself to live fully even amid a pandemic. And I think everyone deserves to live fully.
Nandar
Myanmar
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