Hope

Amrit Kaillon | Apr 15, 2020

For the past few years, I have often caught myself staring at my daughter contemplating the kind of world she will inherit.  Every year that passed it felt the world was tipping ever closer to the brink of no return.  A sense of hopelessness always weighed heavily on my heart.  Never have we seen so much war, famine, hatred, and environmental destruction.  At times I felt that all hope for humanity was lost.

I have been in touch with many friends and family abroad and no matter whom I speak to they too fear the unknown.  My sister-in-law Kam, who works in the UK Health Service, worries over how many more patients she will watch die. My friend Parisa has been stuck in Iran in isolation for over 60 days in a 90-foot square apartment with three other people.  Her fear is when or whether she will ever see her husband who is from Madoc, Ontario. I’ve been in touch with friends working for the WHO in Geneva, who worry about the fate of the world’s most vulnerable people because they’re often the last to receive support.  My friend, Alberto who works for the Red Cross, was too late leaving Geneva, is now stuck there while his wife and two young daughters live in Peru. His mother of 70 lives in Lombardy, which is close to one of the hardest hit towns in Italy.

He has already lost many to the virus and lives in constant fear and worry that his mum may be next. I know people who have lost whole families. I have many friends who have lost someone, of all ages. I have a great aunt who died alone and was buried with no family to mourn her. I have no doubt many of you can relate to these real fears, because as you know, COVID-19 does not distinguish between countries, borders, communities, socio-economic status, age, race or religion; It is felt by us all, even in Sharbot Lake.

However, now amongst all of the fear, tragedy and death brought on by COVID-19, I finally see a glimmer of hope.  A sign of how life was intended to be, with time for others, full of creativity, love, compassion and unselfishness.  The pandemic has shown us that we can work together. Communities, politicians, governments and countries are setting aside their differences to work together for a common purpose. 

Never in our history has the interconnectedness of the world been so apparent as it is now. There is almost no part of the world left untouched by the virus.  No matter where you are from, whether Sharbot Lake, New York, or a remote indigenous tribe from the Amazon, we are all experiencing the same emotions, facing the same fears and dealing with the same struggles.  We’re now able to relate to each other in ways we never imagined.

Whenever I speak to someone, near or far, I’m reminded of how lucky and grateful I am to be living in Canada, and even more so to be living in Sharbot Lake  We are so fortunate to live in a country where our basic needs; health and financial needs are being taken care of. I could not think of a place I’d much rather be.  The beauty, tranquility and remoteness of Sharbot Lake offer’s us a safer and peaceful place to live as we get through the virus.

When Sunny and I decided to give up the expat life and move to Sharbot Lake it was to get away from all the chaos and things that were driving us away from our core beliefs, values and relationships. 

It was important for us to have our daughter experience all the good that comes from living within a small community where we were close to family and friends.
While we wait to move into our home, we find the humour in living at my parents’ house with 11 people and one dog.  It is definitely, not what we had in mind when moving to Sharbot Lake.  There are four generations living in the Kaillon household, which means four separate breakfasts, lunches, dinners and bed times. There is never a dull moment in this house.

To cope with two highly active children, we have turned the dining room into a classroom. The kids love the routine and we love having our sanity back. Our school has regular hours, but I cheekily admit that our school curriculum does include TV time.

When I speak to friends with children near and far there are three things in common. Firstly, TV is a necessity for any parent’s survival. Secondly, we go to bed more exhausted than pre COVID-19.  Thirdly, we believe teachers should get whatever they ask for! They are the best!

With eleven people in the house there comes a lot of cleaning.  While it is exhausting, we’re use to it.  Whereas in countries like India, many lower to upper class families are not.  We’ve spoken to a few friends who have had to let go of their domestic help due to strict isolation rules.  For many of them it’s the first time they’re experiencing having to clean their own bedroom or bathroom.
Back in Sharbot Lake, I hear many people returning back to the basics by taking up old hobbies or exploring new interests. In our house, my sister is sewing and successfully made a hair tie. We’ve also had to learn to make our own bread due to a lack of supply. Just recently I gave my husband a haircut at home. He will be wearing a hat for a while.

A month ago, I believed technology had become so ingrained in our society that it was negatively affecting how we interact and communicate as humans. I will be the first to admit that texting was my preferred mode of communication. It was easy, fast, involved very little human interaction and felt less awkward. Now, with COVID-19 I’ve never felt such an insatiable need to be in touch with friends and family over the phone or video chat. It has made me get comfortable with the uncomfortable. In this house we’re leveraging technology to help us check in on family and friends as well as meet new people through work.

We also use it to stay informed. If it wasn’t for sitting on the sofa watching CBC one morning. I would never have thought of creating a Caremongering site and later the COVID-19 support group in Sharbot Lake. Both these initiatives have allowed me to continue to do what I love, which is to help people.

When COVID-19 is past us, I hope we do not forget this brief moment in history when we as a world came together and shared in one common experience. I hope we embrace a new way of life where human interaction is more important than instant gratification from phones. Let this be the change we have long hoped for.   As decades of pollution disappear and the Himalayan peaks become visible, I pray that we too begin to see a glimmer of hope for a kinder and happier world.