Aware that a great majority of the casualties of Covid-19 have been the elderly and the seniors among us, I decided to look back and revise a draft that I had originally written about “sage-ing”. In this piece, I share lessons learned along the way in the light of the pandemic we are silently but courageously confronting.
Struck by the emergence of a brave brand of leadership during the quarantine period, these reflections highlight the qualities of servant leadership. It argues, particularly, that one leads best when one listens and serves – first of all.
During this time, people in the frontlines of service, prominent among them the doctors and nurses as well as the hospital staff, have paid a high price to make a difference in the lives of others. This piece is a tribute to the fallen among them, reminding our young people that their memory must serve as an inspiration and an encouragement to guide them in their future. Written on the eve of Easter Sunday 2020.)
A piece dedicated to all those bearing the unspeakable pain of losing loved ones – particularly, those in the frontlines during this time – without having the opportunity and the consolation of being at their side because of the coronavirus quarantine. Written on Palm Sunday, for Easter Sunday.
Reflections on the service rendered by essential workers who work in the frontlines often unappreciated and unseen. The dignity of work is underscored particularly after a nationwide address by the president disparaged a dissident voice by disrespecting the dignity of work. Written on 9 April 2020.)
Written on 30 March 2020, this piece is dedicated to the memory of Father Joseph O’Hare, SJ, who generously gave of himself as a Jesuit scholastic during his regency at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines in the late 50s. He touched many lives, and was well loved for his wisdom and wit, his joy and easy laughter. After the Philippines, he worked as the Editor of the Jesuit America Magazine and later as the President of Fordham University at New York, US, for nearly two decades.
Written on 31 March 2020 to record the story of the 30 bicycles that were requested by Dr. Tony Dans for hospital staff. He sent a message to a classmate of his elder brother, Butch, asking if it was possible to provide bicycles for his team at the PGH Epidemiology Center who were embattled trying to cope with work beyond the call of duty. Dr Tony who himself is a bike enthusiast knew the class of his brother who years ago had called themselves “Rebs”. Together with their batchmates in school, they just celebrated their 50th golden anniversary a year ago. I was fortunate to have been one of their high school teachers then.
Reflecting on possible historical comparisons of this period of pandemic with other eras, my attention was caught by a book entitled, “No Ordinary Time” by the author Doris Kearns Goodwin. The volume documented the lives and times of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt which captures the mood, the dilemmas and the leadership qualities that were required to deal with the challenges posed by the period of the economic depression and the war. It was this reading which inspired me to write this piece.
AS WE COMBAT THE CONTAGION, calls for cooperation among communities and between ordinary citizens have increased. We have come to the realization that we can only overcome this unprecedented upheaval upending our lives if we act together and heal as one.