I’m convinced, we love drama. I mean, if you consider the amount of fake news and Covid-19 conspiracies that frequent our Whatsapp broadcasts and Facebook timelines, you kinda have to wonder who is writing the script for this nonsense. (It’s posted on Facebook so it MUST be the truth. *insert eye roll*)

If we had to be honest with ourselves we’d admit that at this point we kinda don’t know what to believe when it comes to coronavirus. Are the stats even real? Wasn’t it created by the Chinese government? Bill Gates wants to control our minds, right?

Dunno.

But there is ONE single truth that I DO know about Covid-19 and I thought to share it with you, as we enter into a new season/new year.

Before I tell you my one truth, here is an example of some of the Covid-19 theories that are making it’s rounds on our social media feeds.

We blame the 5G for corona

Now, I know that the whole 5G debate is up in the air. For those not in the know, conspiracy theorist, Barrie Trower, says that 5G is to blame for the rapid spread of Covid-19. Barrie says that even though scientists have confirmed that Covid-19 is transmitted via respiratory droplets, he disagrees and believes that the virus is being spread through 5G waves. How low income countries (such as Iran) who have no 5G towers have managed to get the virus, I guess is an unimportant factor. Moving on.

Steam clean the virus away

So apparently the virus sits in your nasal capacities before it is transferred to your immune system. Well, that is what some of the medical experts, with no medical degree, on my Facebook timeline has told me. Sounds legit. The virus can be killed on surfaces, with very hot water (about 70°C) AND chemicals. If the steam theory was accurate, your would need to then steam with extremely hot water, in order to kill the virus. Bringing hot water into close contact with your face doesn’t feel like a good idea to me. It only takes 3 seconds of exposure to 60°C water to cause a serious burn injury.

The virus was created in a lab

The scientists that flood my social media timelines all agree that the virus definitely was created in a lab. They have it on good report. Now, despite the fact that it has signs of a “zoonotic” origin (that means it has an animal origin, not an artificial one). And despite the fact that bats and rodents have actually given us Ebola, rabies, SARS and Mers, it still makes sense to believe the Covid-19 was created in a lab. Because… well, soma just. Also, its the darn Chinese people out to get us. I mean, I don’t have answers for you. But I do know that our brilliant friends, in the East, are able to manufacture just about anything. So it makes sense. Kinda.

Wearing a mask makes you sick

Some of my fun friends over in the USA are so upset about wearing a mask in public that they’ve decided to boycott the mask altogether. They believe that wearing a mask makes you sick. They also believe that wearing a mask for extended periods will increase carbon dioxide intake.

In response to this, scientists and other clever people have pointed out that the cloth masks that we wear in public is very breathable, there is no risk of hypoxia (lowered oxygen levels) and carbon dioxide diffuses freely through the fabric. And hey, health care workers have worn masks for extended periods of time, for years, with no risk to their health. But, alas, my fun friends feel like that’s not the point and that wearing a mask is even more detrimental to your health than the actual virus.

Covid-19 doesnt exist

This is my most favorite theory of them all. Oh, to live in a world where Covid-19 doesn’t exist, would be the best gift of 2021! So the general plot is that global elitest are using this idea of a pandemic, to take away our freedom. It’s just flu… you aren’t even getting thaaat sick. You’re just panicking. Basically, all you need to do is steam and drink Vitamin C and rest and you’ll be A-Ok. But don’t buy into the hype. Because Covid-19 doesn’t exist. The cause of all the supposed Covid deaths is not even coronavirus related. It’s a hoax or a ploy of the government. But it’s not real, okay? Well that’s the general train of thinking, when you’re on Team Covid, What Covid?

The one truth

Honestly, my friends, just like you, I don’t know what the heck to believe anymore. Is it the government’s plot to try to control us? I don’t know. Does Bill Gates want to use the vaccine to implant a chip into our bodies? I have no idea. Is this World War 3? Dunno.

But here’s the one truth about Covid-19 that I CAN share with you: Covid-19 cannot steal your victory.

I mean, first of all, Covid-19 is not a death sentence. In fact, more people have survived the virus, than those who have succumbed to it. Is it deadly? Uh, heck yes. But does it change the fact that your life has purpose? No.

You are not doomed. Your family is not destined to tragedy. This won’t be the end of you.

Practice wisdom, yes, but you don’t need to tip toe into 2021, with fear and gloom as your portion. Run victoriously into the new year, remembering all of the GOOD that you’ve witnessed and experienced in 2020. Run with eager expectation that 2021 will be a better year yet. And run with the knowledge that Covid-19 does not determine what type of outcome you and your family will have.

Peace is a commodity. Hope is a necessity. Faith is a life line and clinging to God, during this period will help you to find peace, hope and faith when you need it the most.

At the end of the day, friends, God didn’t promise that we would be without trials or tribulations. I mean, death is a given. But he did promise that when the poo hits the fan, He will make it all work together for our good and for the good of our families. This means that no matter what happens (be it sickness or death) it doesn’t mean that we are destined to live a crappy life of hopelessness and despair.

If you let Him in, He promises to turn your pain into beauty and your tragedy into victory. Victory is your portion… and nothing can take that away from you. Not even the coronavirus. And that’s the one truth about Covid-19 that I’m hanging on to.

I remember waking up the day after lockdown had commenced, and realising that I don’t really have anything to prepare for. (I mean, duh, I still work from home, but that’s not what I’m talking about).

I mean: there were no events to plan, schedules to manage and family time to balance. I didn’t have to stress about washing my hair or finding the perfect outfit or making sure that I have a babysitter.

There were no bags to pack and no clothes to iron. No rehearsals to plan for and no meetings to prepare for. No lunch to make. No phone calls to take, as I dash out of the house, with my laptop bag in my one hand and my 5 year old’s hand in the other, trying to dodge my crying baby’s arms.

So I lay there, on day 1 of lockdown, marveling at the stillness (of my brain, not my household, there are a gazillion small people in my home) and I think to myself: is this what living life actually feels like?

I mean, sure it’s lekker to be busy and to be surrounded with people all the time. But for someone like me… someone with a spreadsheet brain… planning and prepping can sometimes take precedence over the “living” part.

The “being” part of ‘human being’ becomes more important than the “human” part.

And honestly speaking, this revelation is not new to me. I know that I’m a busy lady (sometimes too busy, as my husband often points out) and I know that I need to slow down in this season of raising babies.

But no matter how hard I tried (okay, did I really try, let’s be honest) I could never slow down all the way. There would always be something or someone tugging at me to take on added responsibility. And I would always oblige because I figured that, well, I have the capacity to do it, so why not.

But the thing about being TOO busy is that your business becomes your focus. Not the task. Not the people. Just the fact that you’re busy. “Argh, I have so much to do” instead of “Aack, I’m so enjoying this right now”.

Even the Bible speaks about focusing on the right thing, so that the “things of the world” can fade away and the main things can stay main, in your life.

Being too busy means that you’re not focused on the right thing. In my case, the right thing would be spending time with God and obviously would include things like raising my babies, investing in my marriage and making sure that I am emotionally and physically healthy.

Anyways, with that said, my time, in isolation, has kinda been like a factory reset button. The actual “isolation” part of being “in isolation” has been a blessing to me. There, I said it.

I know that the Covid-19 lockdown isn’t all sunshine and roses… I mean, it’s more sucky than it is lekker. But, hey, atleast it gave me a minute to sort out the junk in my head.

Have you had any lockdown revelations?

I don’t know about you guys but our current lock down situation is showing me flames. It’s hard to be content with staying in one place when you have ish to do, right?

I mean, lock down has forced me to cancel events, hair appointments, coffee dates… I’m so annoyed! Also, I desperately need a Big Mac meal. Argh, this is so frustrating. The outcry! The heartbreak! However will I cope?!

Aaand right there, in that moment, is when I realize that I am being a chop and that I need to check my privilege.

You see, friends, privilege probably looks a lot different to each person. I mean, it’s not just about money.

In fact, I didn’t exactly grow up in a household rollin’ in dough. (Dough as in cash, not dough as in the malleable mixture of flour and water. But you knew that.)

And, although my parents and grandmother gave me everything I needed to survive, there was a bunch of things that we couldn’t afford back then… stuff that my kids take for granted right now like electronic devices, out-of-town holidays, random trips to KFC, name branded sneakers etc. We got by. And that was enough.

These days I visit KFC a bit more than I should (cough cough) and yet I still don’t feel as if I’m “Britney Spears rich” (Wait, she’s still rich, right?)

Until the Covid-19 lock down hit.

As I sat there, on my couch, drinking my tea, while scrolling through Instagram, I heard myself complain about all the things that I would not be able to do, during quarantine. And that’s when I had to give myself a big, fat roundhouse kick against the head (I mean, I didn’t actually, because how does one kick oneself?) because I was acting like an entitled brat.

I mean, while I had to cancel events, some of my fellow South Africans had to cancel jobs and contracts that would have provided for their families.

Some of my countrymen had to say goodbye to their parents, not knowing when and if they would see them again.

I could mourn my cancelled appointments in the comfort of my WiFi bedecked home, while my fellow South Africans share one room with 10 family members and no running water. I mourn my fast food burgers, while others mourn the piece-jobs they relied on, and street corners they sold fruit at, to buy their daily bread.

Heck, some of my countrymen aren’t even afforded the opportunity (and safety) of lock down, because they are out there serving on people like me.

And while I understand that it certainly is frustrating for ALL of us (yes, even us, the WiFi enriched sort) and we most certainly have been left in an awkward state, I kinda know that when I was complaining, my thoughts were more bent towards how much I deserve to live the life of a queen and were a lot less turned towards how little I had to give up in comparison to some of our more impoverished brothers and sisters.

And so, I’m here to let you guys know that I realise that I was being a chop and that I am swiftly and pertly nipping that ish in the bud. Because honestly, you guys, my privilege sticks out like a sore thumb right now. It’s so painfully obvious. I can’t ignore it.

And while I can’t help for privilege (for the most part), I am so embarrassed by my previous lack of awareness of it. But I promise to do better and to teach my kids to do better from this moment on.

Because entitlement and an absence of empathy is almost like a virus all on its own. And it’s one that I don’t plan to spread.