IT’S THE SMALL THINGS Alex M. Eduque What a week it has been! A roller coaster ride of emotions to say the very least. A lot of us were shaken by the earthquake over the weekend, and then the continuous rains and floods. President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his last State of the Nation Address, and then Hidilyn Diaz brought the biggest pride to the country winning the first gold medal in the Olympics. Amidst all this though, anxiety was once again triggered by talks of a strict lockdown happening soon due to the Delta variant, and panic has ensued. Despite the fact that we are all trying to move forward and the brightest of stars has shone in the midst of a seemingly dark sky, it is evident – our mindsets are still very much in the midst of a pandemic. But as we attempt to bounce back into our feet, towards the “normal” we once knew, this fear of the unknown has somehow morphed, or transformed if you will, into the fear of what happens when you move on and forward, with still so much uncertainty? Will we ever even return to that? There is this notion that looms of still moving backwards anytime, and every time with one small step towards the right direction. The question then comes into consideration: how do we fully function knowing the risk factors involved? In other words, how do we invest and keep going at full speed when there is still that probability that tomorrow can stop, lockdown, and take everything away again? I bring this up because this week has proven that the sheer rumors of a lockdown is enough to trigger and cause flashback anxiety – perhaps even more so this time around because the end is still unknown. A year ago, everyone was on the same boat, but seeing that other parts of the world have achieved some sort of herd immunity and are bouncing back faster, it can possibly bring about a whirlwind of undesired emotions. Vaccinations are the best solution, yes. But as we are trying our best to roll them out as efficiently as possible, they are, at present, but a pill of hope which have given us a glimmer of faith, but have also made us forget the ability of this virus to mutate and evolve into new strains. Until we reach a level where the majority have been vaccinated, and even then, we must remain vigilant and cautious. Perhaps it is challenging because the reality is we are still far from the finish line we thought (or at least we would have hoped a year ago) we would have crossed by now. As I sit here rambling and pondering, I cannot help but think that all of this – protocols, minimal health and hygiene practices, the pandemic itself – is reflective of life and its hardships. Challenges that we have lived with and through, and that we think we know and have mastered, but that still catch us off guard, when we least expect it. Suffice to say, this pandemic is a gray cloud of doom that surrounds us and lingers, albeit with moments of very welcome and extra bright rays of sunshine. Acceptance is key at the moment for sheer contentment – to live life as it is, and that there is a possibility we may never go back to the way it was. That the race to the finish line may still take time, and ultimately, it is a part of our changing world where change is the only constant. I will end this by reminding all of you that we must make the effort to gain perspective – it might be different, and more difficult to see the green grass now, but it is growing, and no matter how strong the storm is, it will not rain forever.