Life after COVID – Finding God, finding ourselves
COVID-19 has forced most of the world to stay home. Some have used the period to bond with family, to self-reflect, while others have been eaten up by fear and anxiety as we stay glued to the screens of our various electronics, listening to journalists and experts share narratives of the gloom and doom that is the world.
But it will eventually end, and All Woman sought to get the insights of women who are already conjuring images of what they anticipate will happen at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deandra Chung Jones, 30, paralegal/business owner:
My hope is that things will return to normal as soon as possible, that we will be able to stand united as human beings.
I fear that we will suffer irreparable damage — that businesses may never recover, especially our medium and small business enterprises that are the backbone of our economy, and which drive employment.
The emotional, physical, and financial impact of life after COVID may be grim, especially for our most vulnerable people — the impoverished, the elderly and the sick whom we are most concerned about. How do they pick up the pieces when resources are limited and territories and/or institutions we rely on for financial aid are themselves trying to recover from the effects of COVID?
It may be our long-term goal and our new way of life to mitigate against any threats we may deal with in the future.
Avianna, 40, financial advisor:
I hope that after this pandemic, me, my family and friends will still be around. I fear that people will be worse off than how they are now economically and emotionally. In the short-term, I hope to learn at least one new skill, and for the short as well as the long-term I hope to be closer to God, study His words more, and pray more.
Cianna, 37 dental hygienist:
I hope for the strength to accept the fact that we have no control over our time and just to appreciate life and the intricacies thereof more. I hope to spend more quality time with family because as we have seen, simple circumstances may cause you to never be able to say goodbye.
For the short as well as the long-term, I just want to live life one day at a time.
Iyana, 29, insurance agent:
My hope is that things will get back to normal in short order and that our world leaders will not use the disaster as a political tool or a means of oppressing the most vulnerable. My fear is that life as we know it will never be the same for the common man and the losses will be worse than we think. I believe that our history will be rewritten as a result.
Janice, 45, hair stylist:
Life after COVID will never be the same. Many of us will lose loved ones, co-workers, you name it. One of my biggest fears is that a lot of people will lose their jobs and we will have a financial crisis. My hope is this will draw us closer to the Lord and for us to do some real good self evaluation.
Timone, 26, teacher:
I fear that my mind and body will not develop the flexibility needed to adapt to these changing times. I hope that the idea of working from home will once more appear to be the ideal. In the long-term, a robot might have my job, but in the short-term I suppose I’m being given enough time to make peace with myself as I watch how it unfolds.
