We were never ready. No one was. In a split second, the streets that were once a scenery of celebration for life are now deserted. People were forced to live inside their homes, and for some, the outside world has become an arena of gambling for cents just to survive another day. Everything was becoming different. Chaotic as it may seem, everyone was left with no choice but to follow orders. 

During this trying time, we were all faced with fear, but the only thing that we needed to do to survive is to embrace the new normal—to be accustomed to all the changes that are happening around us. With all the negativities shaking everyone’s faith, humanity is taking its place, reminding everyone that all we need is to help each other. All we need to survive is our willingness and dedication to be a helping hand.

While some are left with nothing, still I see people doing whatever it takes just to help those who are needy. I see companies spending billions, donating everything that they could to help everyone recover. I see our front liners forget that they are still human beings who need rest to function. I see no societal status. I see no gender. I see no age. Behind those masks, I see the true eyes of people—their soul yearning and praying that this will soon be over. I know we are all tired, but this is not the time to give up.

Maybe this is necessary. Maybe this is life, giving us the time that we demand to fix our mistakes. Maybe this is healing. Maybe this is redemption. In a world full of maybes, the only answer is to jump off that cliff and see what is waiting below. Trust that good things are sometimes revealed only to those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

As the saying goes: “You only live once.” No, we live every day, and we only die once. After this pandemic, we will never go back to the way we were before, but we are surely better than yesterday. There is something good about a change that we always take for granted because we are always certain and relaxed about what things might become. We have become robots of our society and have forgotten the essence of metamorphosis as part of growing. Pain is something that allows us to feel more, and pressure, on the other hand, enables us to shine. Sometimes, a revolution is a solution for an evolution that is much needed for us to appreciate the simple things that matter most—that great warm hug after you see a friend, that simple handshake when you meet people, that kiss from the ones you love after a long tiring day . . . they will never be the same.

At the end of the day, we should still be thankful that we are given another chance to live, another chance to grow, and another chance to become better. Just like every sunset, a promise of a new dawn will rise. You just have to embrace it.