Putting suffering in perspective

We felt the pains of living with Covid-19 pandemic since February 2020. For one and half years, we are still fearing the virus. This is taking its toll on people’s life and livelihood. This is a global problem and we are still tackling the spread of this virus.

Is this bad? It depends on an individual’s reference point.

My parents lived through the Japanese Occupation of Singapore that lasted for three years and seven months. (8 Feb 1942 to 12 Sep 1945) Both my mother and my father passed away before Covid-19. They did not have to worry about wearing face masks or whether to get vaccination against Covid-19. For them, living through the Japanese Occupation must be many times worse than living through Covid-19. No one will understand the peril of lives then unless you were in it. No wonder my mother, when she was alive, always told us not to waste food. She lived thriftily and not wanting to wear newer clothes even when she had them in her cupboard.

For the generation after my parents’, the worst period I ever encountered was SARS in 2003. Even with SARS, it lasted only four months. There was no need to dig into Singapore financial reserves by the government. There were periods of recessions and retrenchments along the way. But this was short-lived. It did not impact me as much.

Covid-19 pandemic resulted in work-from-home and home-based learning. There were periodic lockdowns and restrictions of movement. Jobs were lost. It is suffering no doubt. However, this pales in comparison with the Japanese Occupation.

I hope that we can live through Covid-19 with mental fortitude. We have to continue to take measures to keep ourselves and others safe.