Each day brings another poignant detail of heroes who’ve faced their untimely demise. This time, they are not wearing their capes or emblazoning their shining armor. Instead, they are equipped with passion, dedication, and enthusiasm to fight against the invisible villain, the coronavirus.
Each day the number of casualties has risen to a grim figure, from 2, 5 to 12 and the number keeps on increasing. This time they don’t have the invisible hat or the magic potion to face the real battle. What they have is gallantry to serve the people.
It’s alarming that these modern-day heroes are our frontliners who have succumbed to COVID- 19. They’ve sacrificed their lives, dreams, family, and future to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. What a sublime sacrifice!
He could be a loving husband who supports the family, she could be a caring mother whose children are looking forward to seeing her again, he/ she could be an ideal child who has a promising future ahead or grandparent who has a reputable character. But their lives are curtailed as they made this ultimate sacrifice.
They could’ve evaded this gargantuan responsibility yet they’ve chosen to serve their fellow citizens. Without cowering from fear, they’ve fought the real enemy until their last breath.
But, what an irony!
Instead of being grateful for them, some of us are being so ingrate. Some of our frontliners who are still facing the real enemy have been the subject of discrimination, harassment, and violence. Their lives are in danger not by the virus but by the hands of the unscrupulous and heartless fellowmen.
It’s disheartening that some of our frontliners even receive a lowly compensation. And that is a stark contrast to the fame and honor accorded to the fictional characters whom we idolized.
Think of the families that they’ve left behind. We could not fathom their pain, grief, and sorrow from this immense loss. Is one million enough to reciprocate their lives?
The majority of our frontliners today don’t even have the luxury of time airing their grievances. They don’t even have enough sleep and rest that make them susceptible to the disease.
How about some of our countrymen? They have the guts to rant on social media. They even have trivial complaints like the distribution of relief goods and cash subsidy from the government. They are clamoring for an immediate solution to this global pandemic. Have they thought of the less fortunate who have nothing to eat? Do sympathy and empathy reign in their hearts?
Now is the perfect moment to be grateful for the simple things that we have. Be thankful for the food that we have partaken. We still have our family whom we love dearly. And we still have the precious life that we value so much.
Let’s live and seize every single day of our lives. Let’s live our life to the fullest; hence, our frontlines are risking their lives just to protect us from this imminent danger. Let’s not put their efforts into naught.
Hail to our frontliners ( health care workers, police and military security officers, Medtech workers, media, service, food industry professionals, bankers, cashier and supermarket attendants, and maintenance staff), our modern-day heroes today!
Truly, being a hero doesn’t mean that you have to wear a cape as long as you are armed with compassion, love, and dedication you can be a hero in your own little ways.
POP! Creators/Jasmin G. Angilan
_____
If you’re interested in sharing your artworks, poems, short stories, or articles with us on #POPCreators, you may send them in via email at [email protected] with the subject ‘POP! Creators contribution’. If our editorial team likes your work, then it may be featured in our POP! Creators section.
For more details, read the POP! Creators FAQ page.
