2020 has gone down as one of the worst years recorded in human history. Every year seems like it was worse than the other before it, but as for 2020, it’s on a whole new dimension.
In December 2019, everyone excitedly waited to experience the first double-numeral year of the millennium, a rare occurrence that is believed to bring good luck, blessings, and ultimate fortune to people. People made plans and geared up to have an amazing year.
So far, 2020 has been everything short of amazing. Starting with a horrifying pandemic, similar to a 16th ruthless century plague, the world has lost almost 900,000 lives to the coronavirus, and it comes with a kind of pain that would stick for a long time.
More than 34 people and over 1 billion animals were killed in the relentless wildfires that ravaged Australia for nearly a year, going down as one of the worst wildfires incidents ever recorded. [1] Australians watched in despair as 46 million acres of land and 5,900 buildings, including 2779 homes, were burnt to ashes.
California’s wildfires are not better off either, with over 771,000 acres burned as of August and nine human lives lost. [2]
The 36.5 million Americans and triple that figure around the world who lost their jobs due to the outbreak could never have seen it coming. [3] As national economies continue to take downward plunges, it’s down to a survival of the fittest.
So many terrible events have occurred this year, and people who have lived through it all are grateful for a chance to live another day. If George Floyd had known that he would have been brutally murdered by racially biased cops, he would never have stepped out of his home that day. [4] However, his death was not in vain as it triggered the biggest and most far-reaching protests all over the globe against racial prejudice. The violent and brutal deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery will not be forgotten.
The U.S. and Iraq came close to triggering a third World War this year, but somehow, the universe decided that citizens of both countries and everyone else in between would deal with enough heartaches this year.
So far, so bad, we are still here
Despite all the pain, loss, grief, and tragedies, we are still here.
It doesn’t mean that the ones who have gone did not deserve to stay, but we won’t ever figure out how life chooses to unfold. The year is not over yet and who knows how 2021 will turn out? While hoping for the best, we must be prepared to face any situation we walk into.
This is the time to focus on your strengths and sharpen your resilience. Against all odds, you stayed afloat. You defied the circumstances and stayed alive despite the close calls. You are still in one piece. You are alive, and despite losing so much, there’s still a lot to be thankful for.
There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. 2020 will not break us.
References
- “Six Months After Australia’s Wildfires, Recovery Continues.” Direct Relief. Susan Fowler. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ” California wildfires burn 771,000 acres in one week, killing 5 and degrading air quality.” Washington Post. Heather Kelly. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ” ‘Rolling Shock’ as Job Losses Mount Even With Reopenings.” NY Times. Patricia Cohen. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- “ ‘It was a modern-day lynching’: Violent deaths reflect a brutal American legacy.” National Geographic. Deneen Brown. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- “Here’s A Recap Of 2020 So Far And It’s Painful To Read. Bored Panda. Liucija Adomaite. Retrieved September 5, 2020.