I wake up these days not to sound of the morning alarm but to the chirping and singing of birds as they spread their wings into the dawn of another day – a day full of sunshine and skies that are bright blue instead of the grim grey that I had got so used to. The crisp and cool air of this new day is laden with freshness and the fragrance of blooming flowers. Forests have become lush green and trees sway in the warmth of lingering spring as wildlife, freed from its predators, finally moves freely in peace. River waters shimmer in the morning sunshine. Dolphins dance in the deep blue water bodies near the sparkling spotless beaches, while the underwater kingdom rejoices and celebrates as it regains its territory.
Yes, the Earth is healing, and Nature is beaming.
But… the world is in a lonely and ominous retreat… roads are deserted and forlorn with cars and buses no longer puffing, honking and choking the serpentine roads and my lungs. Cancelled flights have cleared the crowded smoky skies of the mad rush to reach unknown destinations for leisure and pleasure. Streets, restaurants, hotels and malls once packed with merrymakers eating and drinking into the wee hours of the morning are now haunted and desolate.
Yes, the Earth is healing, and Nature is slowly reclaiming its space.
No more senseless rat race and no worry about time, yet I have all the time to worry about the uncertainty of life and the survival of myself and my loved ones. Even as birds fly high in the surprisingly clear skies, the sun shines brightly and the stars light up the dark nights, I weep in despair. Grounded and locked up, I watch helpless and vanquished as this horror unfolds.
Of course, I am not alone in this ordeal – rich and poor all of us are caught in the same web. We are now forced to forge a common purpose in the same world in which we were hitherto engrossed in and divided by a game of greed and power.
Technology had been my forte as I invaded space, deciphered the human genome, and made mind-blowing breakthroughs in the digital era. Yes, it is indeed technology which has been the shining light enabling me to remain “connected” with all even while I am “socially distanced” and confined to the shackles of my prison.
Yes, the Earth is healing, and Nature has truly shown its might.
I ravaged the forests and razed trees and mountains to build my mansions, highways, factories, industries and resorts. I did not even spare the rivers and seas as I marched ahead recklessly in my quest to conquer all. My voracious hunger and unsatiated greed wreaked havoc as irresponsibly, I invaded and killed and endangered all things alive in the animal and plant kingdom for consumption and trade.
I ignored all the war cries, all the warnings and forebodings that knocked on my doors in the form of earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, famines and the onset of new diseases. I paid no heed in quest of my selfish desires and my overwhelming need to reign supreme.
Yes, the Earth is healing, but Nature in all her fury and rage has finally taken its vengeance.
Thanks to my own follies, I am now entrapped. I was the culprit and am now the victim, caged by the contagion of my own making.
What then should I do?
It’s time to repair and cleanse myself and not just with soaps and sanitisers. Indeed, it is time to reflect upon my past misdemeanours and repent.
It’s time to live each day and to love not only myself for what I am and will be, but also what life can be with clear blue skies, chirping birds and lush green trees.
It’s time to reset my buttons and learn to live for others and not just for myself and my selfish needs.
It’s time to realise I do not own the planet and all its glory.
It’s time to realise I am nothing and my prowess is nothing when Nature has its way.
It’s time to realise I coexist with Nature and cannot invade its space or rule it
I am respected when I give respect.
I am loved when I give love.
I flourish when I allow Nature and all mankind to flourish.
I will heal and I must, but I must allow the Earth to heal and Nature to thrive.
It’s time for me to realise how interconnected all living beings are and to understand the precariously fragile balance that exists between myself and Nature.
It’s time to see the silver lining as I too heal with Mother Earth and Nature.
It’s time to see the world anew with all the humility and earnestness of the lessons I have learnt in this solitary confinement.
Yes, the Earth is healing and so shall I.