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A post shared by M U H A M M E D S A L A H (@muhammedsalah_) on Apr 15, 2020 at 11:29am PDT

Our world will be right here waiting for us, when it is time to return to it.

There is no rush, for we have done much of the heavy lifting already. We have complained, cheered, prayed, stomped our feet, checked in, checked out, cried, mourned, driven aimlessly, and stood our ground. We have felt depressed and anxious, but also excited.

We need to ease into our world, for we may not recognize it. The animals who share our earth may be a little bolder, the colors of nature a little brighter. Many of our younger children will feel more connected to their families, and our teenagers will have a new understanding that life does not always give us what we want—but, more often than not, we receive what we need.

We have all gotten to know ourselves a bit better, and some of us have not liked what we have seen, but we looked anyway. Others of us realized we were not as bad as we had once thought.

Many relationships will fall away, and others will strengthen. All of us will have taken off our blindfolds, our expectations blown to pieces, and we will be adjusting to this new way of looking at ourselves, our lives, and our world differently.

Many of us will be a little stronger and a lot wiser.

We have witnessed humanity at its finest, which has helped us feel more connected to one another. And perhaps, one day, we will realize that this is why we are here. To stretch ourself. To learn. To grow. To grieve. To connect. To heal. To love. And through it all, we will come to know a strength within us we never knew existed.

And yes, we did not like the pain, suffering, and discomfort. We were stretched, and we feel bruised and battered. We have lost and been knocked to the ground.

And yet, there is a knowing deep within each of us that has a sense that we will never be the same as we were before this pandemic, and perhaps, just maybe, that is a gift hidden deep within the rubble.

And we keep on keeping on, until one day we begin to notice the possibilities within the pandemic. We know the struggles and challenges remain, and we respect and honor those who mourn the loss of loved ones.

Yet, we are able to reach beyond the present and see a future full of hope and promise. We cannot reach it quite yet, but we have a sense it is right beyond our grasp.

We have glimpsed beyond the pandemic into possibilities, so we stand a bit taller and continue walking our path with a little more energy, strength, and courage.

We welcome the journey toward a better tomorrow, knowing our patience, perseverance, compassion, and love have paved the way for a brand new world.