Lockdown? Not yet

Love, devotion, kindness and hope are not – and never will be – locked down, writes George N Netto

Being generally sociable by nature, no one relishes being cooped up at home all day, least of all children. Yet, present circumstances compel us to strictly comply with this fundamental safeguard, however distasteful and inconvenient it may be, in a bid to control the spread of coronavirus. Indeed our very lives hinge on our doing so. Social distancing is the urgent need of the hour and the only way to keep the deadly virus at bay.

Along with despair and fear, Covid–19 has brought about a dramatic sea change in our lives. The near-total lockdown occasioned by it has hit everyone hard, sparing none in its sweep. With no effective vaccine in sight to combat the virus, we are understandably frustrated and on edge as infections spread alarmingly. We worry ourselves sick as the scenario turns bleaker and gloomier each day, wondering what the future holds in store for mankind.

The lockdown has virtually spelt finis to socialising. However, on the flip side, it has opened up opportunities for reconnecting with one’s family, thereby reviving neglected family bonds and relationships. These were the main casualties of our former hectic lifestyles that invariably saw working parents leave their homes and children in the morning, only to meet again late in the evening when both were usually too fatigued (and had little time or inclination) to spend quality time with the family. There couldn’t be a better time than now to renew and strengthen family ties and mend differences with loved ones. Let’s also devise imaginative ways to keep our children happily and usefully occupied indoors.

Indeed, now is the ideal time to catch up with one’s neglected hobbies and pastimes and to pursue one’s passions and avocations vigorously. This will help take one’s mind off the all-pervasive obsession with Covid-19 with which the whole world is understandably preoccupied. So let’s seize this opportunity before normalcy returns and we revert unavoidably to our old ‘retrograde’ routines. Calamities like the current crisis invariably bring us closer to God. Indeed, this is a God-given opportunity to renew our oft-neglected relationship with, and faith in, Him. Let’s remain optimistic and hopeful — for life hasn’t been locked down yet.