Love In The Time Of Corona

Over the last couple of weeks, amidst the corona virus pandemic, the screens have taken over...

They have become our family gatherings, happy hour, birthday parties, graduation rites, meetings and work conferences. Even before this situation we are currently in, they have been our connection to the world. To people. To virtually everything. They are our windows to what is going on outside the four walls of our homes. If you feel like you are trapped in some kind of ad for a tech company- saccharinely yet strangely poignant- you, my friend are not alone.

If one thing is certain, it is that during this curious and trying times, that love is both challenged and affirmed.

While some relationships have chosen to step forward as newer couples choose to isolate themselves together, others have taken the different route. So, if you find yourself in the middle of an inflammatory situation, it's not just you.

Over the past few weeks, I have been been thinking how not so long ago- back before the world decided to turn on itself- I concerned myself with things like, what decor should I put up in the living room for the spring. This seems both hilariously naive and also quite prescient considering now the amount of time I spend decorating and redecorating and rearranging my living room when I'm not at work and just at home.

As John Lenon famously said, " Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." We had plans! A lot of plans! Then life happened. And still continues to happen, albeit in a virtually unrecognisable way.

Somehow, this has forced me to connect with people more than I previously did. But I don't take it as a bad way. It has somehow made me realised that our time on earth is not permanent and that there are more important things in life than the mundane crap we do and live for everyday. Things like family, relationships and health. My family lives in different parts of the world. My parents are in Saudi Arabia with my brother and my sister is currently in the Philippines while I am here in the US. Yes, I do talk to them on a 'not so' regular basis but now, I find myself wanting to talk to them and do group chats just to see how everybody else is doing.

Of course there are connections happening offscreen as well. My husband and I set up a "restaurant" feel at home and cook special menus and pretend we are eating at one of our favorite restaurants( I actually do the cooking! wink!)

For me, perhaps the biggest show of love has been the sound of rousing cheers and applause from people who want to show their appreciation to healthcare workers like me. It's overwhelming. The "thank you's" that you receive, the pat on the back you get at the end of a hard day's work-that is heartwarming.

There is nothing quite a crisis as big as this to make you feel connected-and nothing like invisible cells transferred from one person to another to prove just how interconnected we truly are. As the world changes quite rapidly inside and out, this much has become clearer than it has ever been...in many ways, big and small...there is love all around.

And for those moments when you're stuck at home doing nothing or doing the same thing over and over again, or those who are wondering when we'll be able to see and hug our loved ones again, or if you've gone to the point where everything is just driving you crazy, there is always a shift in perspective. We aren't stuck inside. We're safe inside. So maybe it's not that bad at all.

Stay safe everyone!

XOXO,

Karen