It’s only day 6 of being quarantined and it feels like I am already losing my mind, losing all hope. The coronavirus is a pandemic that is quickly affecting every country and the United States is no different. We were told to stay inside to stop the deadly virus from spreading; cities and entire countries are on lockdown, yet it doesn’t seem to be doing much to slow down the virus. However, in the midst of all the chaos there is a little shining light. United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, described this situation on March 19th as being “a human crisis that calls, above all, for solidarity.”
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, solidarity is defined as “unity (as of a group/ class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards.” This is exactly what Antonio Guterres was speaking about. Now is the time when people should be standing together and countries should be helping one another. Italy is one of the countries that has been hit with the worst wave of the pandemic, with thousands of their citizens dying each day; the entire country is on lockdown and people are not allowed out of their houses. However, through all of this, the Italians are standing in solidarity with one another and lifting each other up during these hard times.
To be confined to your home for an indefinite period of time is extremely hard, but Italians are finding ways to cope and to show one another that they’re not alone in this struggle. Videos have been going viral on social media, showing people singing together in solidarity from their balconies in Italy. These heartwarming videos are not only giving Italians hope, but also showing people from around the world that there is always something to sing and to be joyous about.
Pope Francis also made a statement about this time, “Sometimes, we only experience a virtual form of communication with one another. Instead, we should discover a new closeness. More concrete relationships made of attention and patience. This language made of concrete gestures must be safeguarded. In my opinion, the pain of these days should open us up to this concreteness.” Now is the time when we should cling to our family and to our faiths.
Though times are tough right now, let us always remember to never lose hope because we need to have faith that kindness will always peek through the darkness.
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