Life in the time of COVID-19: Let's keep on keeping on

Yesterday, April 4, 2020, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) held its first-ever virtual board meeting.

During normal times, we meet in person every two months or so and work very hard from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon.

One of the reasons we love to gather together in person is to share our sisterhood, our lives and our challenges and accomplishments.  The personal presence of each and every board member attending from different parts of Canada is worth every minute.  Yesterday, we did it all through our phones, laptops and desktops.  Technology, you are a God-send.  Yesterday we shared all of it without gathering together around a single table.  We gathered together through fibre optics, cable transmission lines, Internet and cyber connections that are invisible yet ever present.  The remarkable thing was that we still did what we always do.

As we worked through our ambitious agenda to discuss current projects and working at home during the time of COVID-19, we shared once again our sisterhood, our lives and our challenges and accomplishments.  Some of us are cooking more and probably packing on some additional pounds around the waist, some are taking long walks in our backyards or decks, some are learning how to home school our children without tearing our hair out completely and some are dancing at different intervals in their day to their favourite playlist or virtual dance party organized by famous DJs on the web.  Some are reciting comforting verses from the Qur’an and prayers recommended by wise elders in our families.  We also shared that we are connecting more often with friends and family on the phone or the Internet.  It sounds heartless to say but there is a silver lining to this pandemic.  We’re not distancing socially, we’re distancing physically to save each other’s lives.  Humans are learning to be the social beings they were always meant to be and expressing gratitude with humility and awe to God and all those who are looking after other humans around the globe.

One month ago, members of CCMW chapters from across Canada, gathered together at our Big Meeting in Toronto.  With God’s mercy and beneficence, we just missed the impending contagion and arrived at home safely.  Now we are connecting and gathering virtually through our WhatsApp groups, email, social media and whatever creative devices available to us.  We continue to share our work, safety tips and information about the pandemic – our social connections being stronger than ever.

Let’s also think about all those millions all over the world, including here in Canada, who have no access to technology, healthcare, food, shelter and basic necessities of life.  Let’s use the resources we’re blessed with to help and support them.

Life in the time of COVID-19 reminded me of a song from the ‘60s by Len Chandler, Keep on Keeping on.  Let’s keep on keeping on.