It’s a fun and joyful new year for everyone. People are welcoming 2020 hoping for joy, peace, and a flood of blessings to come. Not until one day, we woke up to a piece of tragic news that circulated around China. A new virus has been found that can become a potential pandemic if not prevented sooner. Some of us just disregarded it at first, hoping that it will eventually subside for a few weeks or so. But as days go by, this is where the situation started to go downhill.

The virus, known as COVID-19, began to spread in other parts of the world. Infecting families and killing thousands of people across the globe. The numbers keep increasing day by day until it became a full-blown pandemic in less than three months. Establishments are shutting down, events are getting canceled, health centers and hospitals are doubling their time to cater to infected patients. The earth has suddenly become a ghost town in just a blink of an eye. It’s like a scene from a movie. But this time, we are part of the script. We are the characters of a film that doesn’t know when to end just yet.

Let There Be Light

This pandemic gave us flashbacks of the past where the world is suffering from different kinds of plague. It’s like a trip down memory lane – a memory that we don’t want to revisit. Countries are in lockdown, people are questioning where to get food supplies and begin hoarding non-essentials, making it impossible to get the basic day-to-day necessities. It is a nightmare where we can’t wake up. And there’s nothing you can do but to succumb in the emptiness of your home and wait for things to go back to normal.

But humanity hasn’t lost its kindness just yet. The presence of unity is still inside us. It all started thanks to the internet. That little bird app called “Twitter” is the main reason why people have connected once again because of an internet trend that took netizens by storm. If you have been hanging around on Twitter, you will notice tweets about people setting up Christmas lights outside their homes. It seems like Christmas came early for this year. But that’s not the case. These Christmas lights symbolize hopefulness and peace amidst the situation we are in right now. The trend also spread like wildfire, just like the virus did in just a couple of months. People have been rushing to their attic once again, looking for those shiny Christmas lights just to participate with the trend.

A Symbol of Joy and Togetherness

These Christmas lights are the epitome of positivity in the world’s current situation. The world is trying to heal, and so do we. Don’t you just love having a quick stroll around the neighborhood and see those lights glimmer from each and every corner? Tweets have been flooding about the trend as more and more families have participated. However, it poses a concern for public health safety. Putting up those lights outside houses also means easily being physically exposed to the virus. But that didn’t stop people from doing it. After all, most of us already know the rules and safety measures we should follow, right?

As COVID-19 continues to destroy humanity, we also continued to show our unity amidst the darkness we are in. And putting up these Christmas lights is just the beginning. Everything starts to get brighter even in our gloomiest days because of these lights. It’s no ordinary set of lights as people would say, it is a symbol that gave hope for the hopeless, and happiness despite the sadness. And if you haven’t participated with the trend just yet, there’s no better time to join than now.

Putting Safety as Your Top Priority

But still, we must never forget to follow safety measures to protect ourselves. Do keep in mind that the virus can easily spread from person to person. We strongly urge you to refer do the CDC's guidelines for health and safety in regards to COVID-19. So before your hands are itching to get those lights set up once again, you should at the bare minimum:

• Wear A Face Mask
• Carry Hand Sanitizer
• Clean Your Hands - Often
• Practice Social Distancing With Everyone
• Cover Your Coughs & Sneezes
• Clean & Disinfect Your Work Surfaces

These three rules alone can save a life, especially in places where the COVID-19 pandemic is currently active. And when you’re done setting up your lights, don’t forget to wash your hands once inside. Washing your hands is the most effective way of preventing yourself from catching the virus as recommended by the CDC and WHO.

Be The Light of the World

Aside from setting up those Christmas lights, let this pandemic be an opportunity to be the light to everyone. Put social distancing to the test and emit positive energy and let everyone see the light in you. The best way to show your light is online. Most of us are staying inside our homes, and there’s no reason that you cannot do it through the virtual world. If there are some things that this pandemic taught us, it’s about unity, kindness, and spending more time with the people you love. As we wait for the pandemic to subside, putting up those Christmas lights and being the light of the world are two things that matter the most right now.

It's time we stopped letting the Corona Virus damper our good time. Let's be joyous, let's be festive, let's give hope to the hopeless and find joy again. Let us shine our lights and find happiness once more in a world consumed by a dark theme.

We hope this short blog post is an eye-opener for everyone that’s reading it. None of us wanted this pandemic to happen, but we have to accept the fact that we are already caught neck-deep in this situation. But together, as humans, our kindness can be the light that shines through darker days ahead of us. So set up your lights, be the light, and stay safe.