I think that speaking for most of us, we didn’t see COVID-19 coming. I am sure that most people, myself included, didn’t know much about it nor thought that it would be a pandemic. With that being said, now that it is happening, I think that this year has provided us with 20/20 vision in two different ways: one of these ways being that people are greedy and selfish and the second being that we need to appreciate the little things in life because those are in fact the big things.

The first thing that this pandemic has definitely taught us is the fact that people indeed will do anything to make sure that they’re okay without taking anyone else into consideration. It shows who a lot of people truly are. I’m talking about the people who purchased all of the toilet paper, hand sanitizer and Lysol – not caring about if anyone else needed them, just making sure that they had a luxurious supply. Not only that, but certain people (a good example are the spring breakers) who don’t believe in COVID-19 necessarily and don’t care if they get it or not. In this case, that’s being selfish because it isn’t just about if you’re getting it; it’s about the immunocompromised, or the elderly and the ill with underlying conditions who you could spread it to.

I truly think that this pandemic has made people go insane, but also showed the true colors of people in the society we live in – every man for himself. In a way that’s true, but who wants to live in a world where nobody cares about one another? That’s a heartless society and not one that I’d personally like to be a part of. Where there is unity, so much more can be accomplished. 

Another way that I think this year has given us 20/20 vision is the fact that it’s teaching us to appreciate the little things. This is something that I think most of us, if not all of us, take for granted. The little things such as our daily routine are so important and are things that we’ve been so accustomed to that we’ve taken for granted. Each day is truly a day to celebrate because as this pandemic shows, you can be taken from this earth any second. It is so important to appreciate the little things in life because those are truly the big things – our everyday lives, going out with friends, going to work and making money, going to class, etc.

I’m sure that after this everyone will go out and value every day, at least for a little while, and I think that’s beautiful. I think that being taught to be more appreciative is something that we often lose sight of, so that’s so important to always be reminded of. After this ends, go on that adventure, chase your dreams, go on that date, go out with your friends, take risks and make the most out of the life that you have to live! It is so important. Make your impact on the world before you no longer can.

I truly hope that after this whole thing subsides, that we are able to not only come together as a community and be more caring, but that we start to appreciate what we have as well as every single day that we wake up. It’s so scary to think about having your life taken away from you by this disease, but it is a possibility. I hope that we come out of this with the vision that we are NOT invincible and things can take us down.

I hope that we are thankful for the people in our lives who care about us and do anything they can to keep us safe. I hope we learn to value grocery store workers, local store employees, and people of our community, as police officers, as custodians/janitors, as nurses/doctors and as scientists. Without those people, our lives would be significantly different especially at this time. I hope that we stop overlooking or shaming jobs that we deem as not good enough, because in this case a lot of those jobs are the ones saving us.

I hope that we stop complaining about the things that can’t be changed and start being thankful for life as a whole and that we were able to get out of bed and live. Living and surviving are two different things – I wish for all of us that we decide to live and make our dreams a reality rather than just survive and hope to reach them. I think this proves to all of us that life is way too short to take things for granted; life is better than we’ve imagined no matter what we’re going through.

Lastly I hope that it becomes obvious to us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we can accomplish many things if we come together. This truly shows how by having unity and coming together as a whole we can make things happen, but if we are alone with no support that would be much more difficult. I would like to leave you with a few quotes: 

“An individual can make a difference, a team can make a miracle.” -Unknown

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” -Unknown

“Kindness is never wasted.” -Unknown

“A beautiful heart will bring things into your life that all the money in the world couldn’t get you.” -Unknown

“Appreciate every day that you’re alive because being alive is a luxury that many don’t get to experience for too long.” -Massy Arias 

“Appreciate every little beautiful moment in every day of your life. Give it a try and you’ll see the world from another perspective.” -Thea Kristine May

“Life can change in a moment, so we must appreciate every single day we are given.” -Kristine Carlson 

“My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive & do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style.” -Maya Angelou