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April 28, 2020

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Love is a great antidote for fear and angst

Given the unprecedented emergence of COVID-19, communities across the globe have been tasked to face the physical, financial and social ramifications of the pandemic. Although people may find themselves ushered back to normal life, it’s clear there’s a greater unspoken consequence of the coronavirus — the lingering uncertainty of what the future holds.

On January 29, following the news of a possible viral outbreak in Wuhan, I traveled from Shanghai back to the United States for precautionary measures. After serving my two-week home quarantine, I felt liberated. However, this sensation lasted only a short time, as soon the US began to experience “hotspots” where a large concentration of people tested positive for the virus. As the number of coronavirus patients rapidly increased, I noticed growing anxiety around my neighborhood. Many households flooded grocery stores, lining up for hours just to buy essentials. As I walked by these people, though they were unfamiliar faces, they shared a common expression: fear.

Fear often brings out the worst in human nature. With each passing day, fear has only grown more palpable in the US. Through the barrage of sensationalized news stories, a rapidly increasing death toll and unnatural social distancing, many have struggled with isolation, mental health issues and financial worries. For a teenager, financial impacts are more theoretical, but recent reports of racial discrimination, including both the discrimination of Asians in the US and foreigners in Asia, have appalled me. I fall into both categories and am saddened to witness the pandemic fuel hatred, especially when such circumstances have the potential to bring people closer together than ever before.

In response, I decided to create the #ChooseLove campaign to unite our communities through small acts of kindness during these turbulent times. It’s vital we respond with words of inspiration and hope in order to show the human capacity to love. By aspiring to improve mental health and wellbeing in my community, I’m creating postcards of love and encouragement to remind people they are not alone and together we will weather the storm. On social media, #ChooseLove is a call to action for people to perform acts of kindness, because even the smallest action can have a powerful impact.




 

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