JOIN USLife is what it is, never consistent with what we hope it will be. History tells us what plagues and pandemics are all about, especially the destruction and sorrow they bring. The latest Covid-19 is no exception and one that has struck worldwide with force. It has cloistered us, ripping us all apart. Getting out into the open requires masks and other self–saving gadgets that shut us off from the smiles and interested glances of others. Our favourite means of communication now is the telephone, but it can never replicate the warmth of personal interaction. Life has become sterile and stifled with normal living a distant dream. Under such circumstances, many questions arise in the mind. Are our possessions, won through hard work, always in danger of being snatched away? Are our well-thought-out goals just mirages?
Philosophers have, from time immemorial, tried to provide answers, but not so effectively as to quell all doubts. No wonder then that many of us are frustrated. We are apt to shrug and say, ’Que sera sera’ (Whatever will be, will be).
Yet there are reasons to remain strong, if not optimistic. Retrospection, easy to indulge in now, will reveal what these are. Our problems might appear singular and we often feel alone in our struggles. But no struggle is free from the involvement with others and sharing it will bring not only comfort but also the opportunity to help others. The experience will teach us to be more understanding and awaken much-needed generosity. Second, being quiet lets the inner person surface. We realise we live in an imperfect world and live with inhabitants who are imperfect. The only peace we can know comes from kindness and compassion. Third, and most important of all, is what Viktor Frankl, psychotherapist and Auschwitz survivor pointed out. When we are desperate and the future seems bleak, we are tempted to blame Fate or Destiny for our misfortune. But there is a vast difference between the two. While belief in Fate makes one capitulate meekly, Destiny comes from facing it with courage and dignity. This power, no less than our birthright, lies within the heart of every individual.