Lessons from the pandemic
How Corona reminds us of the beautiful things in life – and why we mustn’t forget that
Finally partying, dancing, enjoying life again – not a matter of course
© Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
In these weeks we do many things for the first time – things that we have waited a long time for, but which we used to take for granted. After Corona we should be more grateful for these gifts of life.
The little things make life worth living, they say, but sometimes they are so small that you can hardly see them. It is also said that we only appreciate a lot when we no longer have it. And that you always want to have what is currently unavailable. The Corona period clearly showed us how true all of this is.
Not so long ago it was the most natural thing in the world for us to meet, travel and go to events. Then it all suddenly disappeared, and no one really knew when it would return. Now that there are more opportunities to live a “normal” life, step by step, this “normal” suddenly feels very special. The compulsory break was annoying, sometimes it really hurt – but it also had a nice effect: It taught us to appreciate the small, beautiful things anew.
We are doing a lot again for the first time – what a joy!
Every first time feels special, and a lot of these weeks feel like you’re doing it for the first time – or at least for the first time again. Finally hugging people again, sitting together with lots of friends without a guilty conscience, going on vacation, dancing together, going to concerts. These were things that we have done all our lives without thinking too much, that we may even find boring at times. Now they feel like an adventure.
On such occasions you have to take the time to look into the faces of the others: the way they laugh, grin, how much lightness there is suddenly again. Or just time to listen to yourself and consciously perceive what a blessing these supposedly so small things are for us.
Why we should think about the Corona period for a long time
No, the pandemic is not over yet, but it has already shown us what matters in life. And these are not just concerts, trips and restaurants, but much more fundamental things that we hardly thought about in everyday life: physical and mental health, a secure job, social contacts. That was always there, and always will be, we thought. But it wasn’t true.
The way out of the pandemic is in sight, and at some point lockdown and bans on contact will seem like bizarre memories. Much of what was normal before Corona will become normal again. That’s a nice prospect – but also a problem. We will take all the good things in life for granted and mostly look at what makes us unhappy, just as we did before the pandemic. The memory of Corona should live on in us: the fact that much of what we are allowed to experience is a wonderful gift and by no means self-evident.
This article originally appeared on stern.de.