This blog post is difficult to write because it is an acknowledgment that for the past year, we have been living constantly wearing face masks, sanitizing our hands every five seconds and distancing ourselves from people (although as an OFW, we are kinda use to people coming and going). This has been our new normal since March 2020 and from the looks of it, will continue to be until who knows when.
Since we have been advised to stay at home whenever possible (which I hope we all adhered to), we had a lot of time in our hands, time to think through about a lot of things. As for me, I’ve had numerous realizations and I hope I’ll remember all the lessons I’ve learned from this pandemic.
Do good every chance you get.
A friend’s husband recently passed away because of COVID-19 and his death affected us deeply because we were just together to celebrate another friend’s birthday. We were told that on his last test, it was already negative, and we had high hopes that he is on his way to recovery. But the virus already affected his major organs and he soon passed away. The next day at work I was out of it because of the grave news. One of my coworkers saw me and he berated me for looking and acting sluggish. He told me that I am at work, I should be a professional and that I should be enthusiastic and excited to do my tasks.
I felt all sorts of emotions at the time. I felt anger. I felt betrayed that how this coworker is still standing in front of me who is not well-liked by all because of his unfair and at times borderline racist actions while my friend’s husband who is doing good and being a blessing to everyone around him was taken so soon. I felt sad at how people could not even spare a second to be compassionate and to think about what other people are going through.
Now, whenever I remember that incident, I still feel animosity towards my coworker, but I’m also reminded of another good thing. I know how it felt to not be shown kindness and this now spurred me to do good every chance I get and to stop and think about the situation of others before I speak or act. I will not always know their situation, so I must be careful not to contribute into aggravating their circumstances. As an OFW, you know the struggles of not being with the one you love, so when you encounter a rather problematic kabayan, consider the possibilities of them facing a difficult problem at work or back home.
Be prepared for all possibilities.
We have all heard about COVID-19 in December 2019, but we have not expected it to be this serious. We thought we have dealt with illnesses and diseases before and with the advancement in the healthcare sector, this new virus will not be a global problem and will be contained in the country where it originated.
Fast forward to March 2020. We all know what happened.
Being prepared for all the possibilities does not mean we are expecting the worst-case scenario every time. If we are prepared for all possibilities, it will take the worst of the worst to rattle us. One of the aspects of our life that we need to be prepared for at all times is our finances. We should always have savings or an emergency fund that we could use if and when we suddenly have money problems.
With the pandemic, numerous industries and sectors have been affected. A lot of people lost their jobs and business owners went bankrupt.
This is one of the major things that caused a lot of people stress during the pandemic, financial difficulties, especially for those living in places where the healthcare system is abysmal. Hopefully, now we truly understood the importance of saving for “rainy days” especially for us OFWs who are mostly the breadwinner of our families.
Do what you must.
No one could truly say what will happen tomorrow and if we even have any tomorrows left. “Life is short” or “Live each day as if it were your last” might sound cliché but they could not have been truer. The pandemic showed us that. Now that we are gravelly reminded of our mortality, do what you must.
Don’t let fear inhibit you from trying things and making the most out of life. Our time is limited. Why not go out with a bang? Instead of living our last moments filled with regret. Live the life you are meant to live.
Be in the moment.
Have you watched the Social Dilemma? Watch it and soon you will realize how we are not living in the moment. Sure, social media platforms have made the distance shorter, but the pitfalls are also severe. We have failed to be in the moment because we are all too busy staring at our phones.
I am not a hypocrite and I will admit that even after watching it and even after realizing it, I still have difficulties trying to limit my screen time, especially during the pandemic where we think there is nothing else to do besides scroll through our social media accounts, binge watch TV series and movies, and read thousands of articles and news posted online. There is nothing wrong with this since it is also a way for us to relax. But if you feel like you are spending more and more time online instead of engaging with the people you are with at the moment, you have to do some drastic changes. Set at time for yourself when you are allowed to check your social media accounts and stick to this schedule. Turn off notifications so you would not be tempted to mindlessly scroll through your feed when it is not yet the time for you to be online. Don’t be naïve and tell yourself “I will only open it for 10 minutes” because soon you’d see that the day passed, and you are not able to enjoy it since your 10 minutes became 10 hours.
Learn to enjoy by yourself.
No one wants to be in isolation. “No man is an island.” But ever since the pandemic where it is a matter of life and death that we must quarantine ourselves when we become exposed to someone who is positive with the virus, we should learn to enjoy by ourselves. When we learn to enjoy by ourselves, we would not lose our mind even if we are forced to be in isolation.
Sure, it could be scary to be by ourselves and the thoughts that we have been avoiding thinking about will rise to the surface when we are alone. But perhaps it is now the best time to face them. At the end, we would emerge from seclusion, a stronger person who could survive without depending on others which is kind of a requirement for us OFWs who are away from our family, friends and love ones.
It’s okay to be upset.
… But deal with it in a positive, productive way. There are people who could not handle their emotions well and at times it leads to self-destruction. If you are not good with controlling your emotions, you have to find a way to release all your pent-up feelings that will make you feel good after. It’s not good to bottle them up. Just make sure though that on your pursuit to make yourself feel better that you don’t upset others.
If you are experiencing and having ill and negative feelings and thoughts, don’t be too hard on yourself or don’t think that you are not entitled to have these emotions or that you are a bad person. It’s okay to be upset, you’re only human and trying to survive amidst a global pandemic. Of course, you’d have these feelings and thoughts. The only difference is what you will do with it.
Don’t lose faith in humanity.
I honestly avoid reading the news because half or majority of the news is bad news and upsetting so it’s easy for us to think that now during this worldwide crisis that we are living like “every man for himself”. It might take time for us to dig around, but you would still find news about good Samaritans or stories that will make you restore your faith in humanity.
Every day, I remind myself of these realizations and I’m still a work in progress, but that’s okay. I know I am better than how I was at the start of the pandemic. Now, I try to look at it as a bad day, not a bad life and tomorrow is another chance for me to try.
I’ll end this blog post with an excerpt from Our Daily Bread, dated March 29, 2021 and hope it will encourage you and remind you that you are not alone.
“Yes, life can sometimes be like a battlefield, and hostile fire can send us scattering for cover when we’re bombarded with health challenges or financial, relational, and spiritual stresses. So, what should we do? Acknowledge that God is the king of the universe (v. 4); take delight in His amazing capacity to judge with precision (vv. 5–6); and rest in His delight in what’s right, fair, and equitable (v. 7).”
– ODB
An Overseas Filipino Worker since 2008, Yvette is back in the Middle East after a brief stint in a first world country in South East Asia. She is a binge watcher and is part of numerous fandoms. She writes to keep her sanity (read her rantings on Wattpad @yvette_dc) and is happiest when she's in a bookstore. If given the resources, she would see the world.