The corona life lessons

What is Life? This question is one that requires some deep thinking and introspection in an attempt to answer. If there is one concept that the aged, most educated or philosophical struggle to grasp, it’s LIFE. As optimistic as I am, I posted the question "what is life" on my timeline few days ago. To my surprise, very few people attempted to share their view about life with me. Maybe it's a rhetorical question so I wasn't bothered.

I was not raised in a staunch Christian home but anytime I think about life, a rare interaction I had with a brother of the same faith at a tender age plays back in my mind. After hours of many unanswered questions from me, he told me it's not everything about life that I would understand. To him, life is a mystery only God can explain. Anytime situations caused me to think about life, I say to myself "it's not everything I would understand". Ordinarily, I would say Life is what distinguishes the living from the non-living. If life was this simple, why do I grief? Why can't I get memories off my mind? What lies after death? To what end is all this suffering? There are many unanswered questions you may have about life. Certainly, there is more to life than just the ability to take in breathe.

Everybody, irrespective of their age and status, has a perspective about life. To some, life is about God, a mystery, an adventure, a war, opportunities and to people like myself, we are yet to figure out life. As human as you are, you may have faced or encountered situations which have redefined your viewpoint about life. Life's instances like death, poverty, chronic ailments and worse feelings make us reflect about life itself.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of inconveniences and safety protocols all in an effort to protect ourselves and contain the spread of an invisible COVID-19 enemy. Social or personal distancing, washing of hands regularly, avoiding large gatherings, lockdowns, wearing of hand gloves and face masks have become the normal way of living. Armed security officers have been deployed to enforce lockdown measures and ensure their compliance. Although it's for the greater good of us all that we adhere to them, this is in sharp contrast to what makes us humans, as the current practice is alien to our societal cohesion.

Ironically, churches, mosques and stadia are now filled with empty spaces. Hospitals and cemeteries have become the busiest places on earth. You are tired of staying in the house you toiled to build. You are even scared to step out of your house. With all our investments in cash, gold and diamonds, we can only buy food to eat. With our expensive clothes and shoes, house clothes and pyjamas are the latest fashion.

In what has become a popular mantra, “this one too shall pass” by God's grace. When this long night eventually gets over and a new day sets in, let us not forget the lessons the Corona life has taught us. This phase in our lives is certainly a solemn and rare opportunity we have to reflect about life and the reasons why we do what we do. Life has a way of making mockery of all the material things we suffer to possess. Let examine and change our perspective to life because “The unexamined life is not worth living” - Socrates.