SERENITY IN TURBULENT TIME

In the time of coronavirus pandemic, Center of Disease Control (CDC) has made available a copy of the guidelines for everyone. In addition, President and his White House COVID – 19 task force team headed by Vice President, and state Governors are briefing every day about the current information on coronavirus and how to stay safe, healthy and not infect others as well.
These briefings have been helping general public to be aware about the up-to-date information on the guidelines from CDC, World Health Organization (WHO) and White House Task Force Team, though these guidelines are continuously changing on daily basis on social distancing, wearing mask, and washing hands. We get too much information in too little time.
All of these have impacted everyone’s daily lifein the ways we were not used to knowbefore. We are forced to cancelling birth-day parties for young children, asked and encouraged to work from home, and take special precautions for shielding elderly people with underlying health conditions from exposing to those individuals tested positive.
The aftermath of coronavirus pandemic has caused emotional stress that is affecting all of us in one or the other forms, such as choosing between life and paycheck.  But this is not the first-timethis society witnesses such challenges. It has endured these challenges using FAITH and HOPE that has worked in the turbulent timein history while dealing with fallouts from natural and man-made disasters. So, there is a testimonial evidence that FAITH and HOPE can offer optionsfor coping the coronavirus emotional impacts on individuals, families and businesses.
Individual and societyhave survived before in natural and man-made disasters, such as world wars, holocausts are few of these.The stories we hear on FAITH and HOPEfrom neighbors, families, friends and in the media are heartbreaking, but they also inspire and remind us of the resiliency of the human spirit under even the most adverse conditions.
Human spirit has an amazing capacity to come out from the most terrible circumstances largely due to human resiliency. This is true despite the fact thatwe have no control over these inevitable accidents. Hopefully, the same human spirit will prevail, and we will embrace current challenges and opportunities from this unknown enemy known COVID-19using an approach based on “FACTS-BASED FAITH NOT FEAR” for solving coronavirus emotional impacts on society.
As someone said, “Tough time will not last but tough people will” largely due to their mindset and determination.Determined people find their ways out in every type of situations. See a few examples that we have witnessed in our lives for the last several days and weeks.
•    As gyms are closed, people invented other means, such as walking, bike riding, running, jogging, playing with kids, working in their backyards, and so forth.
•    When asked to work remotely from home, in-person face-to-face (F2F) meetings are substituted by virtual online meetings using different technologies, such as zoom, Microsoft team mtgs, Webex, and skype. (see photo no. 1- families from India and US are chatting, playing games and singing songs).
•    When subjected to strict lockdown within US, many of us have found other ways, such as pursuing hobbies, chatting with friends over Face Time or phone. This is helping to minimize any adverse effects of isolation, which can lead to depression.
•    In search of smart containment and mitigation measures, society has embraced a new practice of personal and public hygiene, such as taking shoe off outside of home, washing hands, keeping social distance, and learning hygienic way to greet others (see photo no. 2, courtesy of Drs. Deepti and Ranvir Singh). All of these will minimize virus transmission from individual to individual.
•    Before families were not having time to have dinner together because of their different work schedules and long hours work. But now working from home options have offered opportunities for eating and playing games together.
•    Current hard times have enhanced participation and practice in such activities as praying together, chanting mantra and listening devotional songs and so forth.
•    Current time has also motivated individuals to volunteer time and financial assistance. People are finding different ways to help others, such as neighbors to neighbors. Families and friends are helping each other in buying groceries.
•    More importantly, an extraordinary camaraderie has been seen these days.   Fire-fighters are cheering, and general public is providing masks and boxed foods for today’s front-line heroes (health care workers, post office, grocery store workers).
•    This is testing time for us, but it has a divine purpose. So, we must pass this test successfully for the benefits of all. GO FOR IT.
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