Thursday, April 30, 2020

Quarantine Diary: We are not in the same boat

Certain words and phrases mean different things to different people depending on context, points of view, and circumstances. In a previous post, I shared a write-up that talked about both the rich and the poor being in the same boat. I get what the author meant. However, somebody else has a different perspective of that phrase and also raised valid points ...   

photo taken August 2019 in Redondo Beach, California 

"We're all riding the same storm, but ...

WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT.

I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.

For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis.

For some that live alone they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters.

With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.

Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0. 

Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk and eggs for the weekend.

Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.

Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.

Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.

Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.
So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.

Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.

We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.

Realize that and be kind."

*Credit goes to the original writer who's not named in the Facebook posts I saw that were sharing this.


Thursday, April 16, 2020

Quarantine Diary: Not everything is cancelled

I'm not sure if I'll still be able to visit the cherry blossoms at Schabarum Regional Park this year but I'm comforted by the fact that ...

photo taken in Spring of 2019

NOT EVERYTHING IS CANCELLED!

sunshine is not cancelled
spring is not cancelled
love is not cancelled
relationships are not cancelled
reading is not cancelled
naps are not cancelled
devotion is not cancelled
music is not cancelled
dancing is not cancelled
imagination is not cancelled
kindness is not cancelled
conversations are not cancelled
hope is not cancelled

Sharing the write-up above from a post I saw on Facebook (#ctto) to remind us all that there are still so many things to be thankful for while we look forward to doing stuff we were all used to before the pandemic happened.

Meanwhile, please keep safe and stay home as much as possible, everyone! 🙏


Sunday, March 29, 2020

Quarantine Diary: Back to the Basics

Starting today, while we are all dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, I'll try to post encouraging stuff that may at least provide inspiration and encouragement during these trying times. 

Sharing the reflection below that some of my Facebook friends were posting on their walls ... Thank you to whoever originally wrote this. I tweaked it a bit though by changing or adding a few words to what I felt were more appropriate. Stay safe, everybody! 

Los Angeles skyline as seen from Griffith Observatory grounds
I don't know if you agree, but something invisible came and put everything in its place.

Suddenly the gasoline prices went down, pollution was lesser, people started to have more time - so much time that they do not know what to do with it - parents are spending time with their kids as a family, work is no longer a priority, or traveling, or social life either.

Suddenly we silently see within ourselves and understand the value of the words "solidarity," "love," "strength," "empathy," and "faith".

In an instant, we realize that we are all in the same boat -- rich and poor. And that the supermarket shelves are empty while the hospitals are full.

New cars and old cars also remain in garages, simply because only a few are genuinely required to go out.

It's refreshing to see almost empty streets, less pollution, clean air. The land is also given time to breathe.

Humans have returned to our origins, realizing that with or without money, the important thing is to survive.

Today, health is the main thing, even in spite of wanting to have or possessing various stuff.

As fear invaded most of us (except the hard headed and greedy ones), it took just days for the universe to establish the social equality that seemed to be impossible.

It took this crisis to happen for many to finally realize how vulnerable we are as human beings and how short life really is.

Nature is forcing us to clean up the mess made by ourselves.

Our overthrown gods:
-Money
-Sports
-Fame
-Politics

What the coronavirus is teaching us:
- Our best protection: GOD
- Our best refuge: HOME
- Our best company: FAMILY
- Our real time: TODAY
- Nature's call: PAUSE
- Its message: WAIT, RESPECT

We are not gods, we are not kings, we do not have the power to control everything.

Instead, we are part of a whole, fragile, brittle, and vulnerable something.

Part of a whole something that we wanted to dominate & yet today is telling us to:

Stop, breathe, respect.
Go back to the basics, to the essentials, so that the peace of your soul can guide you towards what you are: a CREATION.


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