Birth, Death, Marriage, and a Global Pandemic
Life lessons from the first quarter of 2020
I began this year with a trip back home. I was scheduled to meet my newborn nephew, attend the funeral of my autistic friend who died way too soon, and watch my sister get married.
When I left China in January, I was already pondering life from several different angles.
We were only supposed to be in London for three weeks. Then the COVID-19 pandemic exploded. Our return flights to Beijing were cancelled. And just like that, a three week trip morphed into an indefinite stay.
The theme of my trip to London was the cycle of life.
In light of the recent Coronavirus developments and all it’s messy implications, I’ve been thinking hard about what really matters in life. A world-wide crisis will do that to you.
When the noise of normal daily life is silenced and all external distractions have been stripped away, the logical next step is to reflect on what’s left.
This has been an unprecedented year both globally and personally. What have I learned from my interactions with life in its various stages?
