United, six feet apart, we stand!

 United, six feet apart, We Stand

The enemy is too tiny to see, yet its power is unlike anything we have ever seen.

It isn’t bothered or deterred by walls and borders that nations put up.

It doesn’t discriminate based on political affiliation, religion or class.

It affects everyone and gleefully feeds on the most vulnerable.

With the fear of the enemy as catastrophic as its attack,

we are drawn out of our comfortable cocoons, our world disrupted,

facing the newly unleashed weapons of “uncertainty” and “unknown”.

We thought what we watched on the news was far away & unreal until it became our reality.

We believed we were perfectly fine being anti-social until we were told to be socially distant.

We didn’t know just how much a hug, a touch, a high-five meant until we were pulled apart.

We put “me” first until we were reminded “we” are part of a society, of a bigger picture.

It is hard to explain to a high schooler who frets about ruined chances for college,

to a young child who wants to go out when there’s no school,

to an older adult who wants to stay independent and outgoing.

It is hard to shake off the sense of impending doom as you drive on empty roads-

only to arrive at emptier shelves and frenzied lines of nervous people.

It is hard to collectively stay isolated when the first instinct is to come together.

Many times in the past years, it seemed like we were at the brink of a war,

one misstep away from witnessing World War 3 in our lifetime.

Now we are at war, for sure, but against an invisible enemy instead of an army.

Just like all the other times we faced our other enemies -

the ones that brought the world war and destruction,

against this one too - United we stand, divided we fall.

It is easy to throw blame, but the only way to defeat the enemy is to share-

not weapons and bombs this time - but knowledge and experience.

In the midst of all the unknowns, what we do know is

that the worst times often bring out the best in people,

that even as this brings us to our knees, we will rise again,

that there will be a tomorrow and our choices today will define it.

May we all respect science over social media, face facts over fear, choose compassion over chaos, find peace within when surrounded by panic, have the instinct to help instead of hoard, and be creative enough to use the food hidden in the back shelves of the pantry.

May we find the time to pray - for those fighting for their lives, for those fighting to save those lives, and for those who lost their lives in this battle.

May we find it within us to give - a word of thanks, a virtual hug, a roll of toilet paper, a bottle of sanitizer, or a bag of lentils.

And may we share enough love to be able to not just help, but also to ask for help when needed.