The month of June is very significant to me. First and foremost, my two daughters were born in the month of June. From then on, they celebrate their birthdays a week apart, the 5th and the 12th.
This year though, I'll be content just greeting them through FaceTime. On the 5th, my older daughter's birthday, we won't eat out, I can't even buy her a gift, so I thought I'll just prepare dinner to be sent over to her home a few blocks away.
On the 12th, there would have been a more elaborate celebration for my younger daughter who lives abroad since she will celebrate a milestone birthday. This year, greeting her on FaceTime and offering lots of prayers for her well being is the best I could do.
June is also significant to me because for 30 years I've worked in a school. Up to this time I still feel the excitement of the children on school opening, this feeling has remained with me even though I'm now retired.
This year when the worldwide pandemic progressed, the Enhanced Community Quarentine was implemented. Many people suffered, a lot went without food until food packs were distributed, a great majority had no work and many died. Some complained of discomfort and boredom confined in their homes, many felt deprived of their freedom of movement.
But did we ever wonder why this is happening? Are we being given a lesson or some kind of a punishment? Could this be something similar in purpose like the burning of Sodom and Gomorra?
Then I started to reflect and tried to understand, I asked myself if mankind has become too materialistic and too preoccupied with our own selfish whims and ambitions that we overlooked what really matters? Did we really pay attention to what is vital for our existence? Did we show appreciation for all the best things that this world provides?
Then I realized what this pandemic also brought us and I thought; could it be that The Almighty wants us to live this way; focusing more of our time to the family, less time for gadgets while giving each one our full attention they deserve? Eating meals together and enjoying just being together in a well ordered home? Aren't those the things that we've always wanted, yet couldn't get on to them because we were so preoccupied in acquiring more money and material things?
These past weeks as I walked 10,000 steps everyday with my friend and my husband in the street where we live, we always anticipated a beautiful sunrise so we could sun gaze. Oftentimes, we were disappointed that we can't see the brightness of the sun covered by clouds. But we know that it is there shining brightly on the other parts of the world and that nothing can suppress its brightness.
So I thought back what my good friend Nina post on Facebook a few days ago that: "like the sun covered by clouds, we couldn't see its brightness; in life our problems may dim the light of our days but they can never stop the promised brightness of tomorrow".
This year 2020 therefore, on this month of June we now anticipate better days since the community quarantine in our country has been partly eased up. We are now into the onset of another way of life, hopefully this new normal which is much anticipated by all of us will open up a bright new beginning.
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