Eyes – opened

for the world

"These are times that try men's soul." – Thomas Paine, The American Crisis.

It’s sad how we always need to pass through a difficult time in order to have an eye-opener.

We start to appreciate more our family members, once someone dies. We start to live life, after we get a scare. We are more compassionate, once we have gone through the same situation. We are more grateful, after we lose. We are nicer, once we know how bad someone else has it.

It’s also sad to think that sometimes, not even these things are enough to move certain people.

The world is going through a difficult time right now, and it is now that people are having their eyes-opened.

Now we’re more conscious around other people when we are going to sneeze. Now we’re being more sanitary and taking every health precaution possible. Now countries are joining together to see how this pandemic can be overcome. Now citizens are helping each other out.

Why is that we always need to come to extreme circumstances to start changing our ways?

These past few weeks that I’ve been staying at home and doing my part at social distancing. I’ve been struggling. Struggling with my mental health, keeping myself occupied, being on top of my school assignments, and trying not to get bored. But I’ve also come to appreciate being stuck inside the house.

It’s given me time to think and spend time with my family. I won’t lie and say it hasn’t been stressful, but I’m still grateful to have them with me. Before this, everyone in the household had their individual lives. We barely got the chance to sit down and talk because everyone was too occupied doing other things.

It’s nice having my parents around and extremely comforting being with my siblings. I love my family, at least the majority of them. But I also know that not everyone gets along with their family members, or some people don’t have a home. And my heart aches for those who have a hard situation at home because during these days is where their patience and strength will be tested. We should always pay attention to those struggling with mental health, but during these days, pay more attention to them. They will need your support more than ever.

It’s during a crisis that we need to stick together because it’s when no one knows what to do. It’s also when coming together makes us stronger. Or so people think…

We need to come together always, not only during the bad times, but during the good times. We need to help each other, not because of a crisis, but because that’s the humane thing to do. We need to be more careful around each other and our hygiene, not because of a pandemic, but because that way we’re always healthy and keeping those around us healthy as well.

We need to come together, not because it’s our only way of surviving, but because through the midst of pain, joy can always be found. And the last thing that we should lose is hope, so don’t let it go.

My #somethingdifferent today is to talk with my family,

have a meaningful conversation with them.

What will be your #somethingdifferent?

– Ciana Tejada