Are you okay?

As early as the end of February this year, I understood from health experts that it would take from one year to 18 months to find a vaccine for COVID-19. As we know, scientists have been doing their crucial work for the past seven months, and progress is being made.

In the meantime, my nuclear family or household bubble and I have been conscientiously following stay-at-home precautionary measures for over six months.

It hasn’t been easy as I’m sure some, if not all, of you will agree. If I am to be optimistic that a vaccine will be ready and widely available in a year’s time, then we are pretty much over the half-year mark of this long wait. I’m careful not to be overly optimistic though. I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment. The push and pull of being pragmatic and being hopeful is real.

Some months back, a friend of mine shared something on her social media account which struck me — we are all in the same storm, but on different boats. I am told this is an excerpt from a Twitter post, which went viral last April.

We, the world over, are all facing this storm of a virus. There will be as many different ways of coping, experiences, strategies, struggles and attitudes toward this COVID-19 storm as there are people in this great big world of ours.

Some days have been agonizingly slow. There are those who feel like they are languishing in the very places they once saw as safe refuge. So, seek a different route to safety they must.

Like a long journey with many twists and turns, ups and downs, hungry tummies and headaches of varying degrees, and everyone is either thinking or asking, are we there yet? News items and statistics of COVID-active cases then give us the answer — no, not yet.

If you feel well and are able to, supporting others may be something that motivates you to navigate through this storm. In the midst of these trying pandemic times, click that send button to say a line or two to that person you’ve been meaning to get in touch with but never got around to before. Perhaps it’s to ask, how are you? Are you okay? Or “thinking of you, hope you’re keeping safe.” Say whatever feels right. Whatever comes from the heart. Get the conversation going. Be ready to listen with an open mind and heart. Sometimes, hardly any words need to be spoken. A listening ear and your sharing of your time may be exactly what the situation calls for.

Many people are longing for that sincere and genuine connection these days. My hunch is that long after this pandemic is over, they’ll remember exactly how special you made them feel these long stay-at-home days.

They may not respond; that’s okay, too. Goodwill, concern, a genuine reaching out and kindness are never frivolous and definitely never a waste.

This Wednesday was one of those hump days for me. It was a gray and rainy afternoon. A sense of melancholy was hovering, and I refused to allow it to set in. I am grateful I was able to keep it at bay by counting little daily blessings or things that made me smile, no matter how seemingly trivial, these past few months. I know full well that there are those who find it extremely difficult to get past feelings of melancholy.

It got me thinking of people I know and wondered how they’re coping with this half-a-year and counting shelter-at-home way of life. Are they okay? The question that crossed my mind is an advocacy in Australia, my other home.

This year, the “R U OK?” charitable organization is encouraging people to learn what to say if someone in their life says they are not okay. Their website ruok. org.au is full of helpful tips if you or someone you know is not feeling okay. Their national day of action was on the 10th of this month. They reminded Australians that every day is the day to ask these three words, “Are you okay?”

It is a reminder that we could all use wherever we may be in the world, most especially during these uniquely challenging pandemic times.

“

It got me thinking of people I know and wondered how they’re coping with this half-ayear and counting shelter-athome way of life. Are they okay?

“We,

the world over, are all facing this storm of a virus.