Dear COVID-19,
Thank you. Thank you for the cabin fever. Thank you for the sleepless nights. Thank you for the continuous worry. Thank you for the overthinking. Thank you for the endless takeouts. Thank you for the abysmal rental flat. Thank you for the loss of jobs, gigs, engagements. Thank you for the halted renovation works. Thank you for the life in boxes. Thank you for the fear for my parents, friends, relatives, students, colleagues. Thank you for the lonely nights during Ramadan. Thank you for the helpless and joyless Aidilfitri. Thank you for the longing for friends, human connection, freedom, sanity. Thank you for the incessant online shopping. Thank you for the increased electricity bills. Thank you for the mounting rental fees. Thank you for shift in lifestyle. Thank you for the masks despite difficulty breathing. Thank you for the messed up sleeping pattern. Thank you for the unhealthy eating habits. Thank you for the dearth of opportunities for me to perform, to express, to love, to feel, to desire and to grow as a person, an artist, a son and a friend.
But more than that, I also would like to thank you for allowing me to have a much-needed rest from my hectic work schedule. Thank you for the chance to learn and master the art of Zoom meetings, Google Meet, Houseparty and Facetime. Thank you for allowing me to do my drama lessons online. Thank you for the time where I can write 28 short stories and talk about life, sexuality, race, class, the plight of our migrant workers, horror, foster care, domestic violence and many more. Thank you for making me understand the true meaning of abstinence. Thank you for making me miss my family and friends more, so that when I meet them, it will all make sense and my heart will be full. Thank you for the takeouts because now I have a mountain of plastic boxes that I can reuse to pack my lunches once school starts. Thank you for creating a new wave of entertainment and engagement; one that does not require me to leave my house. Thank you for making me more aware of everything that is happening in the world. Thank you for allowing me to be more compassionate, to think for others before myself. Thank you for the opportunity to cook every other day. Thank you for the opportunity to connect with my family members. Thank you for allowing me to watch movies that I have been meaning to watch but have never gotten around to. Thank you for allowing me to connect with people who I have not been able to in the past. Thank you for everything COVID-19, thank you.