I feel blessed each time I smell the tang of an orange. I feel happy every time I taste the rich sweetness of chocolate. I feel uplifted each time I drink my tea and can tell whether it needs another cube of sugar. I had greatly anticipated Ramadan in Qatar. I had heard wonderful things and missing my first Ramadan here still breaks my heart. And I can’t deny that loneliness is tough. I almost forgot how it feels to break my fast or share a meal with someone I love. But my brush with COVID-19 made me appreciate every single healthy moment in my life. I used to complain about quarantine, but not anymore. It is true that I am isolated, alone, and more than a thousand miles from my family and friends. But I am locked down in a safe, comfortable dorm room in Education City with a monthly stipend, free meals and access to care, 24/7. What would my experience be like if I were quarantined in unsafe and unhealthy conditions? If I had no access to medical care? If I were locked down in my house due to bomb raids overhead instead, as was the case many a time in my hometown of Gaza? So many have much less and have faced a fate much worse than mine. At least now I can rest in peace in my comfy dorm studio room without hearing the scary sound of explosions, without waking up to the shaking of my house. I can sleep peacefully without having nightmares of dying with my family under the rubble. It’s a blessing that the virus does not knock on locked doors. I feel privileged and blessed when I think of the world’s homeless refugees and all those who currently live in war zones such as Palestine and Syria. It reminds me of prisoners around the world, caged in dark cells for years. It also makes me think of those quarantined at home with no food and income. I wish the deteriorating situation for those people could be sorted out by washing hands, social distancing and staying at home. The coronavirus has shown me that happiness is my choice. It comes from the inside, from your heart. Happiness to me is lying in bed reading a book and sipping black tea with cinnamon sticks or sitting on my couch eating popcorn and watching Netflix.
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