Today I take the time to address you because there are so many emotions bubbling inside me. You first became a thing just as 2019 was about to close, at the end of a decade. The world was in reflection of the past decade and in anticipation of the new one. Who would’ve thought?
You began to get close…inching closer and closer to the Caribbean. It was only a matter of time, you were making a mess of everywhere else. But we continued to live, to joke, to read and scroll…because…who would’ve thought?
You hit home. An unexpected piece of baggage into our countries. Dominican Republic, Martinique, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica The Bahamas…Barbados...the list goes on. You turned our lives upside down... who would have actually thought!
You came just in the middle of everything I was looking forward to. You made a mockery of my plans, put a toll on my mental health, took the last 2 months of my university life, erased my goals that were in progress. You said goodbye on my behalf, as if I asked you to. But I am but a grain in the larger bag of sand.
You have taken lives, left hundreds of thousands ailing from your crippling touch. You compromised entire nations:
Health care
Food Security
Job Market
Economic Prosperity
Small Business
….so many other resources
You decided who to put on the frontline as if they do not have lives of their own. You shut us down in such a dynamic way, it is unfathomable. The year started with so much already from increasing forest fires in Australia to an imminent world war and we really grabbed on to hope. Who would have thoughhhttttt?
We’re all feeling some type of way, we’re all dealing with the domino effect and we’re all about you despite other occurrences in the world. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find a new way to hate you every day…but in the spirit of being positive…here is what you’ve also done:
You have put a lot into perspective (sounds crazy?)
Some of us needed to slow down from the pace we were running at and recharge
Some of us needed to appreciate time with our loved ones. You have shown that no one is invincible.
All of us needed to appreciate health care workers, police officers, supermarket and gas station employees, our heads of government and so many more.
Some of us needed to have nothing to do to spend time alone, rediscover ourselves and pursue our goals
All of us needed a reminder that our actions impact others significantly
All of us needed to know that our entire existence is not in our control
The planet needed a break from us
And no matter how much control we think we have, it’s time to change the way we think
I hate what you have done, I can never forgive you for it, if I think too much I could fall apart. Each day I battle with thoughts of all that could have been and my body gets numb.
But just like every ugly situation is the beauty of learning
For those who have met you…for those who are acquainted with you…I pray you be merciful on them
Sincerely,
A small grain of sand.
