COVID Continues in 2021, but we can Still Have Hope

COVID-19 has been…well, there are probably not enough words to describe what it has been like. For myself and others, there have been feelings of hopelessness, despair and loneliness. Things that human beings can feel on their own, but these feelings can be intensified staying home, doing the same routine, over and over. Oftentimes, we feel the first pangs of depression. After all, there are studies and news articles on the negative implications COVID-19 has had on our mental health.

It is hard when we have plans that we’re looking forward to, but they continue to be put on hold. The worst part is not knowing when it will all be over. As humans, we love to know. It’s not easy to deal with the fear of not knowing and constantly waiting, while still moving forward anyway.

I want to remind you that your emotions are valid. They were valid when COVID-19 first began and one year later. Other people feel similar emotions, too. I want to remind you: You are not alone.

[Read Related: Why I Finally Started Therapy. And Why I Won’t Stop.]

Hope is Contagious, Too

My 20s — they were supposed to be everything for me.
Travel, friendship, fun, time to be free.
Little did we know what was in store for us.
And lately,
I’ve been so empty — I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be whole.
I feel like I’m waiting for a bridge to be gaped inside of me,
for a light to click,
for pieces of a puzzle to fit together,
for some sort of sign.
anything that will make me feel alive.
anything to help me feel like I have a purpose.

There is a depression we all face,
While trying to handle work from home and school with grace.
We spend our days checking in on loved ones over Facetime,
Because we no longer see each other, face to face.
I know you feel it too.
Not knowing when this will all be over,
Not knowing what our new normal will look like,
Not knowing who will survive this.
Not knowing.
Not knowing.
Not knowing.
But hoping.
Surviving.
Living.
Because that’s all you can do, right?
And that itself is the biggest accomplishment of them all.

[Read Related: Finding Resilience In the Face of Fear]


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By Aqsa Khalil

Aqsa Khalil is a Pakistan-Canadian writer, author, and a paralegal by profession. She is passionate about wellness, lifestyle, poetry, and … Read more ›