For many years brotherly love faded in the heart of many and
the need for community was also slowly moving away
They say experience
is the best teacher, a genre that many including me agreed to for so many
years. But this was just then, here is the best teacher so far that I have ever
come across “The COVID-19” or you can just call it Mr.Corona.
For months now I have
heard people saying “I just can’t wait to see things going back to normal.” I
remember myself saying the same sentiments too many times, but as I’ve thought
about our current situation I have just realised how much I don’t want things
to go back to the way they used to be anymore. Here are the reasons as to why I
don’t want things to be the way they were…..
I just want to recall
the first big gathering that was supposed to be held few months after Corona
pandemic was pronounce a disaster. The Madaraka Day, a day that for 56 years
back have been celebrated in a big gathering of thousands of people from
different parts of the nation and world at large.
This time round when
we were to celebrate the 57th Madaraka Day in the same style, the
tune changed and now only a few number of people found themselves gathering at
the State house to celebrate this big event.
The entertainments we
used to enjoy on this day were done differently, the military parade was done
differently and even the president style of coming to such events changed. What
a serious disease this is?
The dignitaries from
all over the globe were nowhere to be seen. People like President Yoweri
Museveni, John Pombe Magufuli, Paul Kagame just but to name a few who my
instinct keeps telling that would have not missed the event were too missing in
action.
I really pray that
the next time a friend offer me their hands for handshake or grabs me and pulls
me in for a hug, I actually take the time to appreciate the gift of their
embrace. Many a time’s people have just taken this as normal and never feel how
the heart that is offering the hug feels. Now that there is no hugging anymore,
when I meet a friend, I just feel I should be able to do the screening and
testing for a second and just grab the person, hold tightly and feel the gift
of their embrace.
I pray that when
school resumes and I’m seeing children off to school, I take the time to thank
the teachers and staff for the amazing gift they are to our family. In just
some few weeks, I have heard most parents complaining of that they are tired of
having these children at home and just pray that school should resume. This
simply tells how precious and blessings our teachers are to our children, the
burden of having them for the whole year. This is a lesson that without Mr.
Corona no one would have been able to teach. Covid-19 has just opened the eyes
of most parents who took the teachers for granted to know the worth of teachers
and the roles they play in their children.
For many years brotherly
love faded in the heart of many and the need for community was also slowly
moving away, but now I pray that the next time I’m sitting in a crowded
restaurant I take the time to look around at the smiling faces, loud voices and
thank God for the gift of community.
I sincerely pray that
the next time I’m standing in church listening to the voices of praise and taking communion
that I take a moment to thank God for
the gift of congregation. Many a time, people have taken this gift as granted
and didn’t even bother to take time to congregate and say thank you to the Most
High.
I pray that the next
time I see a person or situation that needs prayer; I hope I pray as
passionately and fervently as I have these past few months. Before the Corona
Pandemic, I really took prayer for granted but what I have learned within these
few months when there was no gathering to pray, I saw the real need for prayer
since it is the only way we can communicate to our God to hear us during times
of trouble. I remember our president calling for a nationwide prayer just to
supplicate our problems to Him and at least have mercy on our land and take
this disease away from the face of our land and world at large.
There are some people
who provide us with some necessities but most time we have not taken time to
appreciate their efforts to avail these essential commodities near us, we just
think that it’s our right to have them near us whenever we want to use them. I
pray that next time when I am at the grocery store that I take a moment to
thank God that He provides us with the necessities of life and the amazing
people who work so hard to keep us supplied.
I pray that I never
again take for granted the ability to hop in the car and travel to where I
want, visit a friend, go to the mall, etc. it has been a lesson when learnt
that we need to thank God whenever we travel to places for He always make it
easy for us to sit in that car or bus congested and we still reach our
destination safely without anyone complaining of maybe contracting a diseases
from the fellow passenger.
So, the truth is, I
don’t want things to return to the way they once were. I pray that we take the
lessons and challenges of the past few months and create a new normal. My goal
is to pray more, love harder, and truly appreciate the daily abundance of
blessings that were so easily overlooked just a mere few months ago. If someone
tells you they love you, take it to heart!
-Ochaly
Edwine-
