I am not my disease and neither are You!

It is a harsh feeling to experience people judging you and categorizing you. However, It won’t be wrong to say that we all, to some extent, judge others, but we are devastated at least once when we ourselves experience it. It shatters us even more when the concerning situation is something very sensitive to us or something that we have not yet come to terms with. 

Since last year I’ve heard of many heartbreaking ‘Covid’ stories. Being cautious and taking precautions was something we needed to do during these times; however, sidelining others was never a part of the plan!

A family of three (parents and a son) in my known became a victim of the disease last year. It is natural to feel helpless when all in one place fall ill. A little help from neighbors, like making sure the essential items are delivered just to the doorstep, would have come in really handy for the family. On the contrary, the neighbors turned their backs on them. Let alone asking about their well-being, they stopped answering their phone calls!!!! I don’t even know how to react to this. I don’t know if it is a lack of knowledge or sheer selfishness! The intent is not to spread negativity here, as there were innumerable people who extended hands of help during the crisis. It is just a call to those who have resorted to extreme paranoia and those who have become victims of the same.

Not just Covid, there are many instances in which we let our weaknesses, illnesses, situations, etc., define our identity.

In the end, I’d like to say that changes are bound to happen. Let’s not let the circumstances define us or anyone else for that matter. You are not your disease; you are not your job; you are not your situation – it is not who you are or who you will be. You are much more than that!

Let our bonds be much deeper than our circumstances or life changes and be based on who we are as individuals at our core!

Avani Raj Arora