19 minutes
EMOTIONS are still running high around the world for those who are not able meet and be with their loved ones.
The waiting can be traumatic and the uncertainty painful.
I haven’t seen my older son for six months now, the longest ever, and it is painful.
Having said that, humans are blessed to have the in-built coping mechanism and system which are both astonishing and baffling.
Over time, we tend to grow accustomed to new situations and circumstances and the agony gets internalised.
How is it possible for us to deal with the ups and downs of our lives, especially when circumstances are beyond our control?
The human mind is likened to a computer terminal connected to a database or, on a more complex note, it is like a pile of spaghetti on top of a waffle.
I have vague memory of reading a novel where the human mind is compared to clay which can be molded and shaped any which way.
If you let it dry long enough or fire it, it hardens like a brick.
Hence, everything is in our thoughts and thoughts influence our actions or inactions and determine how we respond to an event or situation.
A prolific author of self-help books, who died at the ripe old age of 90, promulgated the art of affirmation which she described as the be all and end all.
Affirmation is basically conditioning your mind to adopt hope that your desires are within your reach and does not necessarily depend on external factors.
While some people are reeling, others are coping by putting on a brave front and hoping that all will be well soon while not knowing when the “soon” will come.
The people had to sacrifice much, some missing weddings and others missing funerals of loved ones.
The trauma of having to deal with the loss of a family member and yet not being able to participate in the last rites can haunt a person for life.
Now that the RMCO has been extended until end of December, it is going to be extremely difficult for people who have been waiting for a reprieve.
But the decision is made in the best interest of the people as countries around the world are seeing unprecedented spikes in Covid-19 cases.
Some cities are under a second or third lockdown after increases in community cases.
Our southern neighbour is still not out of the woods.
New Covid-19 clusters have been detected and until a vaccine is developed, it looks like tours and travels will take a back seat.
The downsides to this are many, with airlines being the most adversely impacted.
US, Brazil and India are the countries with the most Covid-19 cases, in that order.
Out of 215 nations, Malaysia is listed as the 91st in terms of number of cases.
Our control measures are among the best and I am happy to see that the public has generally complied with the government’s directive to wear face masks in crowded public places.
The government has to continue educating the public on the perils we are facing.
If the situation drags on, complacency may set in.
We don’t want to end up like the New Zealand city of Auckland where the lockdown has been reinstated after weeks of easing.
Meanwhile, all we can do is wait it out with the hope that this too shall pass while we continue to desire and dream that things will return to normalcy “soon”.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
