He is risen! Jesus is alive! Today, in the middle of a pandemic that has terrorized the entire world, we dare hope. And together we pray: Jesus, the world is dark and we are terrified. Hold us by the hand, Lord, and lead us to Your light. Amen.
Happy Easter!
Week 5
Just as expected, the enhanced community quarantine for Luzon was extended until 11:59 p.m. on April 30. It was inevitable. Many were hoping for a gentle “commutation” of sorts. But it didn’t happen. We have not flattened the curve. Not yet.
I am pleased that we didn’t jump the gun, though I must confess that I feel like I have been put on a leash, a short one. You may think this is easy for me, since I have nowhere exciting to go anyway. But nobody, at any age, enjoys restrictions. No matter, it is reassuring to know that the people in charge are making sober decisions. I hear the new end date is still subject to change.
Anyone who has kept track of the numbers knows that even a partial lifting of the quarantine or an easing of rules at this time would have been premature, even irresponsible. I know some well-informed medical people who hope we remain locked down for at least another month.
Unfortunately, the spread of this deadly virus has not abated. And the only way we can push back is by obeying the rules and staying home. My sister in Atlanta tells me that they are not quite on lockdown, but close. A look at what is happening in New York is alarming. Only recently they had no idea of how bad it could get.
So here we are entering Week 5 and looking down the road at at least another two weeks of staying home. There was not much of an outcry at our house when the announcement of a prolonged quarantine came Monday night. I guess it was no surprise.
In the meantime, our nightly online concerts are ongoing. It is our way of reaching out and “touching” whoever logs on with a couple of hours of music. If it brings relief to even one troubled heart, then it has hit its mark.
Quiet time
It can get very quiet in my casita. Did you know that bamboo trees creak in the wind? Sometimes I can hear our retriever, Mochi, strolling outside my door on the prowl for stray cats. I watch her as she makes her rounds, marking her territory.
My children are worried that I may be getting restless or lonely. They know I like being with people. I do miss the rest of my family. But I am happy to say I am neither restless nor lonely. I have found a new joy in the solitude of my little house, where, in spite of anxious moments, I have discovered the path to peaceful thoughts. I read or listen to music, I write and I pray.
Aha! moments
COVID-19, or the new coronavirus disease, has stopped the world dead in its tracks. It is in the news 24/7. If we are not careful, our emotions will overwhelm us. The more we know about it, the less we sleep nights. We need to rein in our fears, and still keep informed. It is not easy.
And as we attempt to navigate through these rough waters and try to ride out the storm, there are huge life lessons to learn.
My nephew calls it purification. “We are shedding old skin,” he says. “We are purging the rot.”
Forced into stillness and confined to our four walls, we are finding out that life can be simple, that we don’t need all the extras, that frills are just that, frills. They are not life-changers.
We are going back to basics, the essentials, the core of life and living. Our broken relationships are showing signs of life. We have time to mend the cracks.
My son’s friend remarked: “We don’t need much. Being with my family, that’s what matters most. That is success. Everything else is temporary and means nothing.”
Someone once wrote: “Wealth, position, power, the admiration and adulation of the multitudes. These are just bubbles that feed your ego, and are blown away by the winds of time. If you chase after them, they burst and you are left with nothing.”
This virus is a great equalizer. Even the high and mighty have been stricken. The powerful are rendered helpless. The proud and the profane have been brought down low in a mad scramble for solutions. It is not about wealth or power. It does not care who or what you are.
This is a wake-up call for all of us who have lived complacent lives, satisfied or stupefied by the status quo. It calls for change.
I have memories of the euphoria when the war ended 75 years ago. I remember Mama and Papa dancing, people out in the street flashing victory signs. There was a lot of hugging and crying. Someone opened an old bottle of cidra. Even the children were given a celebratory sip.
This too shall pass. I can almost taste the joy of reuniting with family.
And when all this is over, what will life be like? Will we ever be the same? I hope not. We will have been cleansed. Chastened. Humbled. We will be infinitely better.
A bright tomorrow waits in the horizon. When it dawns, like we did in that dark season when we begged for mercy, we will fall on our knees and give thanks.