We can choose post-COVID way
Cancer in all its forms, Alzheimer’s, heart attacks, pneumonia, diabetes, the flu, dengue fever, bubonic plague, Spanish flu, swine flu, avian flu, AIDS, old age, to name a few ... all killers. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, forest fires, typhoons and who knows what else. Let’s not forget all the “regular” issues like Chrohn’s, IBS, and the whole host of digestive issues, eczema, arthritis, along with a host of skin, joint and organ ailments. And while we’re at it, let’s kick in the vast array of mental issues ... postpartum depression, manic depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, autism, P TSD, suicide and all the others. World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, 9/11 and a whole host of global conflicts. Daily issues like drug and alcohol abuse, crazy kids, job insecurity, foreclosure, crumbling assets, marital strife, swaying markets, political unrest, violence on the streets. Oh, and let’s not leave out global warming, starvation, poverty, homelessness, tyrannical dictators, pestilence, rat and insect infestation ... holy cow, and now COVID.
We have survived many generations in a world filled with so much devastation. We have lost many loved ones along the way. Every day we make a conscious decision to pull back the covers, pull up our pants, put on our boots, rub the sleep out of our eyes, turn the knob and walk out the door. We’ve been inspired by songs asking how we’d live if we were dying, Bible verses and TED talks. We’ve created exercise programs, sought out healthy eating habits, swilling down veggie shakes and all kinds of diets and vitamin regimens to impact our longevity. We attend religious gatherings, search out counseling of all sorts to fortify our spiritual and psychological well-being. We gather in a wide variety of family, social and civic gatherings to create joy and meaning in our lives.
Every day until now. Anyone can talk about how they’d live if they were dying. But how many can follow through with it when they really are? How many can live with courage when they are being faced with something like COVID? Today is the day when we look at all we’ve been through and put this one in perspective. Do we cower down or man up?
Go back to the beginning of the tale. Put COVID in perspective with all I’ve mentioned ... this is nothing! Will we be the next generation who survived a world plague like the Spanish flu? Will we be the next “greatest generation” that survived a world war? Will we all light candles in unity to support our country shortly after the most devastating terrorist attack in history? Will we add the COVID color to our cancer-colored ribbon tattoos?
Every day we wake up is a gift. And more often then not, you have no choice in the cards each day deals you. What we do have a choice in is how we play that hand. Play reckless and you lose. Know the odds. Be smart. Take calculated and educated risks. Have fun. Enjoy the game. Play it with a joyful heart. It’s only a game, it’s OK to lose. Know that you will always be dealt another hand, and if you’re a Christian, you’ll know what I mean.
We’ve all had our lives impacted by this latest curse. But it is not the last or worst we will or have faced. We are strong. We are resilient. Choose joy. Look to the sunset. Know the sun will rise tomorrow. Tomorrow, as every day, you decide how you live if you were dying. Do not live in fear, this too shall pass. Wear a mask, maintain your physical, mental and spiritual health. Protect yourself as best you can. But be ready when it comes, because it will.
And know when it’s your time ... it’s your time ... nothing you can do. So live every day like you’re dying. Leave this life with nothing in the tank. Don’t wait til it’s over to appreciate what you have. Make sure everyone you love knows how special they are. Don’t let this thing harsh you buzz. Be the light in somebody’s darkness. Surviving turmoil makes heroes. Be the one the next generation looks up to, be the one they tell stories about. Create the next legend! The generation that survived a world-altering event and inspired the world to endeavor through whatever lies ahead.
As was the choice of the many generations before us, it is a choice we make every day. Choose to find joy, to find peace and to inspire others. This too shall pass.