It is no doubt that we are in the most trying times. When the pandemic struck, the whole world literally stopped. Until this day of writing this, we are still fighting a battle with an enemy we cannot see. Scientists and medical experts all over the world are striving still to find a weapon to destroy such a tiny thing that took so many lives and continue to prove itself to be indestructible, leaving many different nations shaken to this very day.

Yet in the midst of all the chaos, the fears, the deaths, the losses, the uncertainties that the pandemic has caused, there is one thing I see.  I see hope. This pandemic may have shaken us to our very core, took over our daily lives, deprived us of our freedom, challenged our economy, forced us to adapt to a new norm, but in our tiny community where I reside, I saw and see hope beaming. Its face as bright as day.

Our city has once been identified as the epic center of this virus in our region.  We have been on lock down, termed by our government as Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) since March 28, 2020 with so many other types of quarantine that followed, lifted for a while, only to get extended again. The numbers continue to rise everyday as massive tests in affected and suspected areas were being conducted. Early on, I had been closely monitoring the news updates but when it started to take a toll on my mental state, causing panic attacks and anxieties, I decided to drop it. No more news. If there were updates, family member or the neighbors will let me know. As I distanced myself from the news, a different aspect of this pandemic caught my attention.

I live in a clustered community and in our tiny cluster, we have about 500+ residents. When the news broke out that a neighboring cluster have been infected and the spread of the virus is being contained in that area, our community, led by a few brave and active volunteers, set up its own task force to close points of entries, leaving only 2 that are guarded by shifts 24/7 by different individuals who volunteered their service without pay. It created a stir with some people protesting because of the inconvenience it caused. The stir died a natural death as majority of the residents expressed their support to the initiatives made by the volunteers.

We have neighbors who, since the outbreak, have lost jobs, lost their income from businesses that shut down, lost their means to earn a living. There was help extended by the government but certainly not enough to sustain the many families that needed assistance. Just as hope started to dim, a spark of light opened its way to bringing brightness to the community. Many individuals and families started coming to the aid of those who needed help. Starting with the volunteers, the residents took turn in providing them meals from breakfast, lunch, dinner, even snacks. Former residents who are now residing abroad or other parts of the city have sent in help too with the assistance from those who wholeheartedly did the liaison work for them who cannot be physically around. Community members worked hand in hand, extending their time and services to put together groceries and other food items to be distributed. It was truly as showcase of unity in action.  

In July of 2020, when the number of cases hit its peak, we become part of the statistics. Despite that we have done all possible ways to follow health protocols, sometimes even went beyond what was required just to ensure the safety of each of our family members, we were not spared.  My mother suffered from a severe infection and was confined in the hospital for 10 days where she was fighting for her life. The rest of the family had to undergo tests and quarantine.  The entire ordeal we all had to go through seemed surreal.  And so did the help that came pouring in.  Just like what happened in our community at the onset of this pandemic, our own journey in fighting off the enemy that had hit us head on was that of an out of this world experience.  There had been numerous unexplainable instances where things just fell in place and unexpected people from extended families to friends near and far, even strangers who later on became friends — all of them reaching out to us until we were out of the woods.

This, again allowed me to see what hope looks like. No amount of darkness can dim its light. After all, it is true they say that HOPE springs eternal. In the midst of this pandemic, its light continue to shine the brightest.