The Things that the COVID-19 Lockdown Made Me Realize

For some, it might seem that the COVID-19 outbreak brought nothing but pain and trouble.

It's been that, of course. But I recently learned to look at the bright side of things. Sounds cliche. But really, honestly speaking -- looking for that one bright spark in the midst of the darkness is what saved me from crippling anxiety more times than I can count. Always thinking that good things can come even from the worst incidents is one of the things that's keeping me moving in this time of crisis.

Here are some of the things that I realized while pondering the positive outcomes that might come from this lethal pandemic.

1. I've been so blessed, having a job that allows me to keep on working even from the comfort of my own home. I've been functioning as a social media manager slash virtual assistant since around June of last year. There were times when I fell into bouts of depression from being too isolated (I literally only went outside to withdraw and shop for food) but eventually started to settle. Then news about the latest coronavirus outbreak exploded. I know that not every kind of job cannot be taken home -- which is why I'm doubly thankful that I still get to earn my full salary despite this crisis that has crippled a significant part of the world.

2. I discovered the positive contribution of web-based calling/messaging apps and social media in maintaining relationships despite the enforced social distancing. I know that social media is not all sunshine and rainbows, but let's admit it -- it's basically what keeps people together, even just digitally, in this age of lockdowns and quarantines. We used to bash chatting so much (and yes, I believe that when you can talk personally, we shouldn't rely too much on chats) but receiving well-wishes, even through chats and through other messaging platforms, did a lot to boost my morale in these trying times.

3. I also started to appreciate my pets more. I love my pets. But they're not mine per se. I only obtained the right to call them my pets cause I belong to the family that happened to own them. I never went to a shop or a pound, pointed at a pup or a kitten and decided, that one is mine. Most of the animals at home were taken in by my grandma or granpa at one point or another. I like them well enough. But the lockdown forced me to take more notice of the people and animals around me. I got to spend more time with them, and managed to watch our latest batch of kittens grow up. I'm planning on keeping one or two of the three babies, so I guess I'd finally have pets that are mine, really mine.

4. It restored my faith in humanity. I know, another cliche. But you know those posts in Facebook that featured destitute people who live in the streets, those who are disabled and are being ostracized by society... I used to dislike those posts. Because usually they are accompanied by captions like "Post Amen" "Don't scroll past or you will lose luck" "Share so you will be blessed". I HATED THEM. It was obvious to me they were using these people for the shallow purpose of getting shares and likes on social media. They were disgusting to me. I routinely block pages who heartlessly use these kinds of images for sympathy engagements. But recently, a new kind of post started to gain traction. They featured people who needed help -- but not just for likes and shares. They contained useful information and were geared towards getting help for the people in the post. The best part is the response -- it made me tear up more than once, after seeing the picture and heading to the comments' section, seeing comments confirming help has been handed to the person in need, and the sheer volume of people who are looking to send more help. It made me realize that this pandemic started bringing out the best in people. It started bringing out the human in us. We rallied to help give protective gear to our frontliners. We handed out food and financial assistance to people in need out of our own pockets. We also started to become advocates of disseminating factual news, and repudiating fake news. I simply love the people that we are becoming.

I sincerely hope than when the sickness has passed, and the doors are opened, we retain the values that we have earned from these experiences.