Till the coronavirus, our generation lived in a busy world. The hustle and bustle of the 21st Century didn’t allow anyone of us to slow down till the world pause in the wake of an unseen enemy. Hearing news of many people dying of coronavirus leaves one feeling empty with knots in his stomach. It makes you stop and think, really think. It takes a life-threatening illness for people to appreciate what they have, and as sad as that reality is – it’s true.
It sounds almost inhuman to think or say that some positive may come out of all loss and hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But, it is about time we recognized the hollowness of human life. The coronavirus has made some of our traditional way of life take on newer meaning. As handshakes and going out are no longer acceptable for fear of passing on the virus, the new wealth anybody can possess is one’s health and inner happiness.
Is Beauty Everything?
Once this corona crisis is over, we will probably stop behaving in a servile fashion when we are in the presence of people with no vitiligo. It is probably our social conditioning, or perhaps because we are neither completely pigmented nor depigmented, that makes us grin like gibbons when interacting with attractive people without vitiligo.
The coronavirus pandemic has made clear how irrelevant one’s outer beauty is to thrive. In today’s context, it is no longer the main desirable staple. But, good health is what most desired just like the etiquette of social distancing (wearing a mask and maintaining good hygiene) is the need of the hour.
Health is the biggest wealth!
We, people with vitiligo, tend to take our health for granted and how wrong we were. Coronavirus tells us with deadly certainty that the world is one and health for all is truly more valuable than pursuing individual beauty, which is what many of us, vitiligo fighters, have been chasing most of our lives.
Given these trying times we are living in, young vitiligo fighters may now want to train their youthful energies on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and pursuing their dreams. After all, to be the center of attention in the age of coronavirus, one has to be informed and good on immunity.
Coronavirus – a bittersweet truth that puts life into perspective
I was diagnosed with the skin disorder a few years back. What started with a small patch on my upper lip eventually resulted in 20% of the loss of melanin on my body. Like any other vitiligo fighter, I constantly wished that somehow I could have prevented it or magically cure it. Many vitiligo fighters who interacted with me have told me that I am one of the most optimistic people they’ve ever met. I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I like to believe that vitiligo strikes the strongest people. But, oftentimes, I found myself failing at realizing that. I guess that’s what the process of falling in love with self is all about. After some time passed in self-isolation, I started thinking about my life with vitiligo. After some reflection, I had a lot to be grateful for a lot.
Using this period of self-isolation to reflect is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss too. Coronavirus has shown us something a lot of people take years to figure out – gratitude. We all are suddenly thrown into our homes grasping how quickly the world around is changing. Coronavirus is a reminder that our time here on Earth can be way too short to be pessimists. There is no need for you to get upset over the insignificant inconveniences you encounter day to day.
Hope against hope
The paranoia over coronavirus may soon stop and for reasons which are not actually fair but will hopefully, be a kind of correction. Every day some saddening news about coronavirus is crossing our path as a subtle reminder that our life, even with vitiligo, is undoubtedly amazing and we have a lot to be thankful for.