On Friday morning, I met up with a group of friends who share a common interest for breakfast at an outdoor restaurant—a place I hadn’t tried before. We spent about an hour and a half together, but the entire time was filled with discussions about COVID, different vaccines, and the challenges of the pandemic. We only dedicated about ten minutes to our shared interest, and a few more minutes on other topics. Several times, I tried to steer the conversation back to our passion or even to subjects like ecotourism, but it was in vain.

Later that day, I visited my father’s house, where one of my uncles—someone very dear to me—was visiting. Once again, COVID dominated the conversation for hours. My attempts to revisit childhood memories and shift the topic were slightly more successful here. We managed to take a short trip down memory lane and indulge in some nostalgia.

I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences. We’ve all been affected by COVID—if not physically, then mentally and emotionally. Even without clinical symptoms, the pandemic has seeped into our minds and souls. These are difficult days. Some are grieving, while others live in constant anxiety. The quality of life has declined for everyone, and for those with active social lives, the hardship is even greater. For introverts like myself, social life has become oddly constrained and overwhelmed by COVID.

I don’t have a magical solution in this piece, and I know that we must live with this reality for years to come, learning that COVID is now part of our new normal. But we are losing precious days of our lives—and isn’t life, after all, just like today’s breakfast with friends or an afternoon chat on a Friday?

“Today is yours—tomorrow is not within reach,

Thinking of tomorrow brings nothing but sorrow.

Don’t waste this moment if your heart is not restless,

For the value of the days left is immeasurable.”

The stress of COVID is for tomorrow—the day we might fall ill—while our limited time slips away in the present. For the past two years, many of us have not truly lived. Each of us must find a way to embrace life—with all its passion, excitement, and love—rather than simply exist. Constantly talking about COVID is not just a free choice; it’s a collective sharing of negative energy. I wanted to remind myself—and perhaps you—that when we gather with others, some might be seeking an escape from this accumulation of negativity. Let’s give each other the chance to make COVID anything but the centerpiece of our conversations.

“Oh friend, let us not grieve for tomorrow,

And cherish this fleeting moment of life.

For when we leave this mortal in,

We shall join the company of the timeless.”