Dear Yuri,
I am originally from the Philippines, where it has always been either sunny or rainy. I was living alone in a studio apartment, working hard, making my mom proud. Life was pretty unremarkable back then, what we now call “the before times”. During this global pandemic however, I found myself in a basement room in Canada, where everybody talks about the weather. As I work at a fast food restaurant and live in a secluded room, I start to feel like a distant observer of the world. And as the government put the community quarantine in place, I begin re-imagining that world the best way I know how—reading a book. Through the tiny window in my basement room, I was able to see it rain, snow, leaves falling, wind blowing, sun shining—all in one day.
At first, the quarantine forced me to look inside my room, assessing if I would be able to survive an indefinite time inside it. Instead, it paved the way for me to look inside myself. It reminded me of things I used to love when I was eight, before my mom made high grades in school an extreme priority, before my job made meeting deadlines my entire life. It reminded me of books and the enchanted universe they bring. I found myself finding comfort in these magical worlds, helping me get through these tough times—the global pandemic, being away from my family. They say matter occupies space, that’s why we should only make space for things that matter, says my favourite author.
So, as I continue to look at the rain, no the snow—I am reminded that we are strong and we have relationships that we value and give us meaning, and like rain (I mean snow), this too, shall pass.