For almost everyone, 2020 has been the worst year of the century, with many of us facing destruction and challenges that have left us suffering both mentally and spiritually.
For me, January 2020 began a year which has left me feeling very overwhelmed and exhausted like never before. The meaning and purpose that I had in life before the COVID-19 pandemic were all tested; beauty, travel, lifestyle, have all been impacted. I can no longer take walks at sunrise in the dewy streets of near my home, nor drink coffee in the companionship of others while listening to Khairiyat song of Arijit Singh. The pandemic came and has broken my life into pieces which I am still trying to collect. Obviously, it hurt me in three main ways: it has broken my dreams, given me an extremely deep feeling of loneliness, and made me face the monster that is losing a loved one.
Growing up, I was filled with hopes and dreams, which somehow removed me from the strife within my community and in my life. But I did not always live the life I constantly dreamed of, because I was aware of the external or internal factors shaping my life. When I think about this, I realize that I may have been living my life for the expectations of others. It was for this reason that I had not yet allowed my life to fly in the sky of a destiny which reflected my hopes and dreams. Soon the decision to pursue the life I wanted was to be taken out of my hands.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread around the globe, I became exhausted when imagining the end of my lifelong dreams. I believe this feeling came because of the isolation; the social distancing measures made for safety, the closure of borders for almost all flights and the very remarkable limitations for official duties, left me alone with my thoughts. And then suddenly, every breathe I took changed into a hardship. In the days following lockdown, I faced moments of sickness which may have been the novel Coronavirus. Still, I thank God for those difficult moments, because I believe God wanted to let me feel that life is not all about dying for dreams which may bring happiness. Instead, we must enjoy the many blessings we have in the moment.
Still, I thank God for those difficult moments, because I believe God wanted to let me feel that life is not all about dying for dreams which may bring happiness. Instead, we must enjoy the many blessings we have in the moment.
Tamana Farewar
Isolation has drifted me into some kind of temporary depression which has been difficult to overcome. Removing myself from others, stopping the activities I enjoy doing, and counting the days I spend away from all goods have made me appreciate the love and joy I already have in my life. During my moments of loneliness, I realized how much we as human beings are dependent on one another and how cheap, meaningless and intolerable life can be when you are locked in a house just to be able to breathe. In such moments, being fortunate enough to be in touch virtually with my network saved me. From there, I have taught others that life is too short to destroy it with nonsense such as making others sad or wasting your time working to provide luxury needs instead of finding enjoyment in life. I have therefore started to take time for myself and my loved ones, as well as show my loved ones how much they are remarkable to my existence.
During my moments of loneliness, I realized how much we as human beings are dependent on one another and how cheap, meaningless and intolerable life can be when you are locked in a house just to be able to breathe.
Tamana Farewar
Sometimes I feel that I can never convey the pain of losing my loved ones and for this I ask Allah Pak for long life and happiness to all.
The COVID-19 pandemic made me face the difficult feeling of fear for people around me. The coverage from media about the number of infected or the number of deaths has hurt me emotionally. So, I have decided distance myself from media for a while but still keep up to date about newly published information about the virus from trustworthy resources, so that I can continue to support my family and colleagues to be as safe as possible. For instance, I have taught my youngest siblings and my mother who do not have access to social media, how to be safe.
Currently, we are experiencing lower rates of viral infection day by day. I respectfully thank God, the government along with policy makers for taking urgent action by developing policies and measures to keep all of us safe. I also and of course thank the health care providers; our doctors and nurses who have made sacrifices for us to be healthy.
I respectfully thank God, the government along with policy makers for taking urgent action by developing policies and measures to keep all of us safe. I also and of course thank the health care providers; our doctors and nurses who have made sacrifices for us to be healthy.
Tamana Farewar
Author: Tamana Farewar is former Zone Manager of Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI) in North of Afghanistan where she initiated Women for Women Peer Exchange Workshop for female entrepreneurs in northern provinces of Afghanistan and introduced Afghan female entrepreneurs’ products globally. Tamana has been contributing to women economic empowerment, SME development, gender equality, and SDGs. She is internationally certified trainer of Start and Improve Your Business-SIYB and Financial Literacy courses and she provides business coaching to support business community in her city. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economic from Balkh University.
Editor: Evelyn Palach
CHADARI 