Life After COVID-19

Yes.

Apollo came
like night. He took his place beyond the ships,
and shot his arrows, and his silver bow
howled. First he struck the mules and running dogs,
then turned his piercing weapon on the people,
and pyres were always burning, piled with corpses.

— Dr Emily Wilson (@EmilyRCWilson) May 8, 2020

This month, June, is the third month in lockdown over COVID-19. It’s amazing that three months have already passed. At first, we were, like many others, in full panic mode, swinging between constant fear of getting ill and enjoying as much food, drink and home entertainment as we could. My sense of religious faith was pretty shaken back then, too.

"It is right to believe in the gods no longer if injustice will surpass what is just"

ἢ χρὴ μηκέθ᾽ ἡγεῖσθαι θεούς,
εἰ τἄδικ᾽ ἔσται τῆς δίκης ὑπέρτερα #Euripides

— sententiae antiquae (@sentantiq) May 5, 2020

Later, we struggled to get into a routine for home-schooling our kids, finding adequate facial coverage, and then losing my job. Finally, as I settled (thankfully) into a new job, and the family into a home-schooling routine, we’ve gotten used to life under lockdown. My spiritual faith renewed itself with greater dedication, too.

We miss our friends and family terribly, but we remain cautious yet hopeful we’ll see them again soon:

Everyone after Coronavirus 😂 pic.twitter.com/RZwke6tV4v

— The Witcher (@witchernetflxtv) March 16, 2020

After lockdown, things are gradually shifting from pure survival to looking toward the future. We are making plans again (albeit pretty far into the future), and I look forward to the day that the kids can finally get out of the house and see their friends.

Still, as we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, it is a good time to reflect on those we’ve lost on the way. The deadly arrows of ἡ ἑκηβόλος (hé hekébolos), Apollo the Far-shooter as he was called in The Iliad, have rained down on our communities and it will take years before we fully return to a sense of normalcy. We’ve lost loved ones, businesses in our community, and so much else, and they won’t be coming back.

The character Caduceus Clay from the show Critical Role grew his tea leaves from the soil of the graveyard he previously tended, but he reminds us all that everything we enjoy is through other people:

Beau: You’re drinking dead people tea?

Caduceus: Aren’t we all?

Caleb: That is a very fair point.

Beau: Very true. But you’re cultivating dead people for good tea?

Caduceus: Aren’t we all?

https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Caduceus_Clay

So as we gradually reemerge from lockdown, let us not forget those who lost their lives, and let us not forsake those still struggling from this terrible pandemic. The next time you enjoy a BBQ this summer with friends, don’t hesitate to pour a libation too. 🖖🙏🏼