Through Thick and Thin Amidst the Pandemic

As the famous song of Bruno Mars goes, “You can count on me like one, two, three I’ll be there and I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two you’ll be there.” These words only connote that we can rely on our friends just as they can rely on us. In times of trouble especially in this trying season, we could always gain strength from them and they could also serve as our support system to continue to live our lives.

At this very moment, we are experiencing a pandemic that is slowly attacking our community. Even our mental health is affected due to what is happening around us. To be completely honest, even social media is becoming unhealthy and toxic to the minds of people considering that there is a lot of unpleasant news online. Also, with all the drastic phenomenon that is currently happening all over the world, we would want to talk to someone who could somehow help us ease the pain and sadness that we feel inside — our friends whom we always depend on. These people have always been with us through ups and downs and they have been our ‘one call away’. 

At some point, we may wonder and think about the qualities that a true friend should possess. One of the most vital characteristics a true friend should have is being honest with themselves. Of course, how could you even trust a person who doesn’t know how to be honest? A simple lie can break your friendship and even the trust that you have for that person. Second, a person should be trustworthy. In terms of what is happening in your private life, that person should have the maturity to keep your secrets, knowing that you trust that person that is why you decided to tell him or her your secret. And of course, you cannot build a relationship with your friend without trust. If trust is not observed in your relationship — may it be a romantic or friendly relationship — then you can stop yourself from having a relationship with that particular person.

A true friend will accept you no matter what your status in life is. They will accept you for who you are, they will not change you for the worst. Rather, they will change your toxic attitude into a better one. Despite having difficulties in life, they will let you feel that you are not alone with that problem; they will understand you, and will not push you to do dumb things that could tarnish your name.

True friends will also respect you — they’ll respect your religious and political views and how you perceive life. They’ll respect your thoughts and opinions. True friends will also not leave you, they’ll stick to you in good and even in bad times, they will always be there for you all the time, their actions will always speak louder than their words. 

This pandemic brought us away from our friends, for how many weeks we’ve just been in our homes because of the quarantine and we’re not physically in touch with our friends. Now it is time to reconnect with them, to say hi’s and hellos to our dearest friends whom we’ve missed a lot. Even our old friends that we don’t see every day before the lockdown started, it is now time to communicate with them and ask them how they are despite this pandemic.

As I have mentioned earlier, the pandemic caused a lot of troubles in our lives including our mental health. It caused anxiety and depression for some, knowing that we are only isolated in our homes. We are aware that we have our families with us, but of course, it is still important that we have our friends with us. We have to reconnect with them in order to relieve the anxiety and depression that we feel — that even for a short period of time, we could forget the problems we have because of the entertainment we feel with our friends.

In these trying times, we are experiencing a lot of troubles like overthinking — which, according to some studies, can kill your positive outlook in life. To share my own experience with this quarantine, I felt depressed at some point even knowing that I am financially secured and I am with my family. I sometimes overthink things and I’m sad without even knowing the reason behind that sadness. I feel so empty; anxiety attacks are also on their way and I don’t even know what to do. But a massive thank you to the people who were with me, who did not leave me, and who kept in touch with me during those times. I thank them for sticking by my side.

This pandemic, I have realized that there are a few people in your life that will prove to you their worth at this moment. Considering the fact that we are facing a pandemic, they’ll prove to you that they are worthy to become one of your friends. Unexpected people will also come and show their care for you amidst this pandemic; they will make you realize that life is worth living. These people made me believe that life is really amazing despite its uncertainties and flaws, that in the end, we’ll always see a rainbow after this rain. This pandemic made me see who my real friends are, I have determined whom I should trust and whom should I cherish. I have learned that not all your friends are true to you; some will still do terrible things behind your back. They are only good to you because they need something from you. Not all of your friends will stay with you by the end of the race; some will leave you after they have taken you for granted. You can’t trust all of your friends in this difficult situation, so be careful in trusting people.

There are some who will choose not to talk to you. There are people who will not care about what you are feeling those times; they will just stay with you because they need you. But always remember that there will be people who will choose to look after you regardless of what is happening around us. Those people choosing to stay with you no matter what only means that they love you and they treasure you as their friend. This epidemic will make you see who your real friends are. I myself realized that from the very moment we experienced such a pandemic, I already knew who my real friends are. You’ll only know if that person is true to you or not if you are not together; the distance will prove the loyalty and trust of your friendship.

COVID-19 made us realize that this may be the last day or time that we can spend our lives with our family and friends. So let us live our lives to the fullest, let us cherish these moments while they last. YOLO, You Only Live Once. Life is precious and awesome as well; don’t waste every single moment in your life, be with the people you love before it’s too late. Life is too short to hold grudges and pain; forgive and love one another. Through thick and thin, true friends will always be right beside you in good times and even in this pandemic season.

LAYOUT BY: Chester P. Cortez