The year 2020 has come to a close. After nearly a whole year of lockdowns, quarantining, virus, illness, and loss, the globe looks forward to a new year – 2021. Hoping to begin a fresh new start. To adjust to this ‘new normal,’ to cover up their losses and begin all over again. All the hopes we had at the beginning of a new decade were dashed by a microscopic virus. Creepy, but the truth.
Most people would say that 2020 has been a terrible year, a horrible year, a year not worth appearing in history. Countless memes have been made based on it – no other year got that honour. What we did this year was just existing. No one lived this year, it was basically existing. Yes, there is a difference.
Is that your opinion as well? (That 2020 has been a terrible year for humanity?)
Yes?
Ahh, I don’t blame you. I must say that I didn’t find it very amicable either.
But look at it through another perspective.
To every single thing, there are at least two opposite perspectives. Every good has a bit of bad and every bad has a slice of goodness nearby. Whenever something good happens, we ignore the wrong in it. And vice versa.
But that’s wrong.
Absolutely, Utterly, WRONG.
What if I say: 2020 has been a great blessing for humanity. Sure, it had it’s ‘badness’ but it was worth it.
Will you agree? No? Hopefully, by the end of this article you will.
Let me start by first stating all the ‘wrong’ and ‘injustice’ 2020 did to us:
- A deadly virus.
- A pandemic.
- Nearly 2 million deaths.
- Global lockdown
- More rules
- Ban on travels.
- Closing schools and offices.
- No gatherings.
- No celebrations.
- Job losses.
- Separation from family & friends.
- Boredom.
And the like. But maybe we’re looking at 2020 through the wrong perspective? Maybe it would be better if we looked at it through a better, more positive perspective? If we do that, perhaps it shall overcome the negativity.
Firstly, it bought families together. Before the pandemic arrived, the kids would be at school for about half the day, dad at the office (sometimes the mom as well). Once they got home, it was resting time and homework. Someone has to do the grocery shopping, there goes dad again. The only bit of time they spent together as a family was at dinnertime, then ta-ta because it’s time to go sleep and tomorrow’s a busy day. This was “life” in 2019. The woohoo, boom, 2020 arrived to set everything straight. It rescued the routine that was driving families away from each other. It came and taught the world what was to live with a family and what families are.
People came closer to Islam. Staying at home and having plenty of free time got us thinking. When the realization that ‘We have nothing to turn to except Allah SWT and Eeman(faith)’ many people turned towards it. Not everyone, but some. It gave us time to sit back and reflect on what we are, what we’re here for, what worthy thing have we done in our lives, and what will happen if we get COVID and die. It gave us time for more Ibaadah(worship), more prayers, more dua’s, more Adhkaar etc
Now, if you think of it. COVID-19 actually created the atmosphere of homeschooling throughout the globe. Online education is very hectic, and it’s pretty difficult to understand what the teacher is saying at times. But you’ll have to admit that homeschooling was what the world has done this year. And I want to say that I personally found it very good. How was your experience? For us as homeschoolers, it didn’t make much of difference. But that’s a topic for another day.
It gave us a chance to let go of the past and begin a new start. For most of the time this year, we were free and didn’t have anything to do – especially at the beginning when people were unsure about what was happening. We had enough free time to sit down and study in a completely new field toward an absolutely different career. Coursera (an online courses website) offered several of it’s paid courses entirely free – alongside valid certifications, too I may add. Islamic Online University gave its diploma in many Islamic courses free. Webinars were held regularly. So yeah, that’s my point. Education was made simple.
Pollution. The increasing rate of pollution dropped massively. The environment because healthier and cleaner. Since transportation and vehicle movement decreased, gases in the air also sank alongside it. Factories weren’t working half as much so water pollution and the release of poisonous fumes receded. All this helped in making the world a cleaner place to live and the growing the ozone layer which both have been a great problem to us for years. Scientists noticed that the sky got bluer. Evidence that the world is cleaner now.
Hygiene has much been looked after. Washing hands regularly, wearing masks, staying hydrated etc all count in hygiene. People now have realized its importance and implement them more in their lives.
It bought up the realization that everyone on earth doesn’t need to go out every day to learn or work and that all this can be done at home as well. Work-from-home, study-from home, earn-from-home, stay-at-home, buy-from-home(yes people started online delivery for groceries) do-everything-from-home. And now, we have full proof that we can study from home, earn from home, buy sitting in your house and YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE IN ORDER TO EXIST ON EARTH.
(Sorry for the outburst lol)
All those are roughly the blessings 2020 bought, and I’m sure they are more. However, in the meantime, here you go. Obviously, it had its bad, many people had huge harm bought to them but what can one do? Remember the thing about every bad thing having a good side and vice versa? Maybe looking at things through another perspective will help?
Anyhow, here’s 2021. Let’s just pray and hope for a better year!
Have a splendid year folks!