Today was the first working day of 2021 for most of us. The start of a new year, which (albeit naively) we hoped and prayed would miraculously rid the world of this awful pandemic. Boris Johnson has just announced another national lockdown, and my social media feed is full of expressions of woe, sadness and frustration. I must admit, this time even I’m feeling down, despite being a fierce optimist. It’s been a day of sad news from different sources, more and more people I know being affected by illness and sadly losing many of our elders in the Asian community.
So how can we keep ourselves from becoming too negative? For me, a major reminder of how lucky we are is just taking a look around me. Every day I am able to get up, spend time with my family, work from home, and speak to friends and family around the world thanks to so much technology available. Yes, I know it’s not the same, but at least we have this option. We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, mental and physical health, so much to be grateful for alhamdulillah (praise be to God).
The pandemic has really brought to the fore how much we need human interaction, that human touch (even many introverts I know begrudgingly accept they miss humans!) I have realised the true meaning of being ‘there’ for someone. Many people I know live alone and have really struggled during this time, so it is imperative to check in with them as much as possible. This time has been hard enough for people who live in households, even more so for those living on their own.
Being there for yourself has been a big learning point - mental wellbeing has always been important but I think it’s made us realise exactly how much we need to look after ourselves. It’s only then that we can be effective with our work and relationships.
Since the first lockdown in March, there have been many ups and downs for us all. Humanity as a whole has been affected, wherever they are in the world. More and more of us know of people who have suffered or have been personally affected by the virus. Our religious festivals, birthdays and anniversaries have been celebrated differently, wedding ceremonies have been adjusted to smaller intimate ceremonies (which is not a bad thing if you have ever been to a big fat Asian wedding!)
In the Asian community, a funeral is time for many people to come together and pray for the departed soul, and share in the family’s grief over a few days. The pandemic has restricted such gatherings, which has meant loved ones and friends have felt the pain even more so, however others have felt the intimacy of only close family being present to be comforting at this time.
As we enter another national lockdown in the UK, we take comfort in the work being done by the brilliant NHS staff to keep us safe and healthy, and the key workers, especially teachers and shop workers working hard every day. We pray for an end to this pandemic, whether or not you choose to have the vaccine when offered is up to you. Either way, I pray we emerge from this time soon and with renewed faith and humanity.
I have never liked the expression “We’re all in the same boat” – This is clearly not the case. Many sections of the community, particularly the BAME community, have been disproportionately affected by COVID. There are many factors that explain the level of impact on each person. I much prefer “We’re in the same storm, but in different boats”.
I pray we are able to weather this storm regardless of our boats.
By Saadia Mushtaq
