LETTER | Stillness moving me forward

LETTER | It was one of those drizzly mornings. An overcast sky overlooking the empty runways and silent highways.

With life on its brakes, I had the luxury of sitting and staring at the open space before me. I saw, once more, the familiar raindrops pelting down my frosted windowpanes. It was something so soothing as if there was a quiet revelation behind the drizzle, and as if each raindrop had a story to tell. Perhaps, each drop foreshadowed an imminent downpour.

I felt, almost instantly, a surge of inner strength, and an intimate sense of oneness with nature, something that I have always loved, but which, over the years, became gradually shadowed by the hectic demands of life. Making a living, so they say. Making meaningful moments. Making milestones despite the tedious routine of rushing through rushed hour traffic, a trajectory that most ordinary people can relate to.

Sometimes it takes something so small and insignificant to stir up something so huge and unfathomable an impact.

It is like the seemingly benevolent tiny raindrop that begins so gently but later pools into a torrential pour.

Or that microscopic virus that could invade my computer and create consuming chaos.

Or that almost invisible yet malignant flu virus that chooses to linger on with mankind, possibly with a relentless vengeance.

It is incredible how one hit puts life on the reset mode and how we are compelled to pause. In this moment of rest, we have all suddenly become equal; no one is more equal than the other.

Masked and physically distanced, nobody cares how much you have, how exclusive your accessories are, how big your car or house is, and how many drivers or houses you own. Nobody cares how many accolades or trophies you have bagged, how many titles or scrolls you have collected or how influential your position is.

It all comes to nothing. There is no need to flaunt what you think you have. There is no need to impress with your glitters or plastic external. There is no need at all.

For we all now share one common enemy, one common pain, and one common weapon – hope. Hope for a cure. Hope that life goes back to normal. Hope that we can be on the move again. Moving and more.

A change is taking place on the outside, and perhaps, within each of us. Suddenly, people are praying more than before. Suddenly the Almighty seems more real than ever. Suddenly people are rushing to write their last testament. Suddenly people are becoming more hygienic, more caring, more united and more mindful than they ever were. It is no longer about just us, but them too.

A whirlwind of changes.

For some, it is a quiet revolution of the heart while the world outside races against pain and death. Call it the irony of life. Aren’t we supposed to be equal? Aren’t we supposed to lift one another higher, to stoop to care for the helpless, and to lend a hand of compassion? Aren’t we all pitched in the same tent of humanity, regardless of our material exhibits? After all, as in the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilisation starts. We are at our best when we serve others.”

When everything hails to a halt, it makes me ponder what really matters. I have always believed that wisdom comes when we learn to eliminate the non-essentials in life. At this moment, we are stripped to the essentials. No mindless shopping, no crazy festive sale, no chilling coffee chats, no grand gatherings, no healing spas and no aesthetic makeovers. No more frills. These are pushed to the curb.

Perhaps, what really matters now is how we savour each quiet moment to renew or revive family bonds, to re-connect with good friends we have put on hold while we were caught up in the going and getting.

With the hands of time ticking slower than before, I find that I have time to do what I had missed or left on the fringes. Time to whip up healthier meals, time to laugh and catch up on those good reads and movies, and most of all, time to celebrate family togetherness.

While I do not understand why some people still choose to violate the directives of physical distancing and movement restrictions by the government, I do realise that the pace of survival has outpaced that for inner growth. Most of us have never been at an ease of being still. Some people are so afraid to be alone. For me, being alone awakens deep insights within. We must dare to pause and reflect amid the rush to keep acquiring and accumulating.

When we are well anchored spiritually, we are more ready to challenge the formidable. When we are empty within, we cease to be productive as we do not have that inner reservoir of strength to give and share. Going back to old school, the best photos were developed in extreme darkness. Light shines its brightest in the darkest night.

In times like this when we are told to leave gaps in the act of physical distancing, let us not leave gaps in our moments and memories. Let us not leave gaps in our minds to think for the powerless. Let us not leave gaps in our hearts to love unconditionally. It is time to be reminded that our lives are intimately intertwined with one another, weaved in that thick tapestry on the vast canvas of humanity.

When this storm subsides, and when all restrictions are lifted, we will no longer put on masks. We are liberated from the suffocating pieces. We will breathe easier.

Let us also remove the masks that we have layered on, in the sickening process of gaining acceptance, gaining recognition and gaining power.

Life surely becomes simpler without the masks. 

The writer is a Singaporean married to a Malaysian. She cherishes simple yet beautiful memories, and devotes her best moments to enabling and empowering each to be his/her best. She believes that when we embrace possibilities, we awaken miracles in the mind.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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