I miss my work. It’s been a while now since the last time I work with my office desktop, may it be for a paperwork or a presentation. I miss attending, organizing, and conducting face-to-face meetings for our committees and project teams. I miss my officemates, our chit chats, and food bonding every afternoon snack. I miss the good times when we’re able to talk and laugh with no masks on our faces, get to shake hands or hug a person when we need to, and connect with other people with no social distancing needed. Those were the previous normal days. 

We’re on the new normal now as they say. All aspects of our lives are affected by the current pandemic. From our lifestyle to our work habits, everything should be safe, clean, sanitized, or 1-2 meters apart (social distancing). Our social gatherings, seminars, and meetings are now virtually arranged. Thanks to the technology of video and web conferencing app, Zoom, we’re still able to do such in a time like this. 

Anyone can use Zoom. It’s the easiest way to conduct meeting, webinar, and group video call nowadays. I’ve been using Zoom for a month now. Every day, we’re hosting our family devotion and bible study using it. We also use Zoom when we conduct an online workshop called Authentic Lives (AL). 

When we were finally able to visit our ob-gyn, we went to a friend’s house. The waiting line for the clinic was quite long so we decided to stay at their house. We feel safer to wait there than in the hospital. While waiting, my wife played with their kids. On the sideline, I continued with the online workshop, AL, via Zoom, in which I was one of the facilitators/speakers.  

One of the highlights in the conversations we had with our friends is the effect of quarantine on their kids. Prior to this situation, these kids, aged five and two, were active ones who were always excited to see people coming in to their house. They were always ready to show the new stuff they got to us or simply play with us. This time, we needed to “warm up” with them (just for a short time though). It’s as if they were not used to seeing us physically. Nevertheless, we still had a good time playing with them. We were amazed with their growth. The older one has very good imagination! He drew himself and my wife going to the moon and skating on ice from his imagination. The younger one is still very observant and adorable! But he doesn’t want to touch Fave. ? He told us that their baby is in their mommy’s tummy (but she’s not pregnant!). We love these boys very much! 

Since the quarantine, we had a couple of videocalls with these kids. They know how to interact using technology.  When I was having that online workshop, the older boy commented that his dad was also on a meeting the day before. He said that it was the same as my screen. Well, the new normal of communication. On one hand, it is good that kids nowadays are smart enough to cope up and learn about the tools we have in this situation. On the other hand, we just know that in the long run, it could negatively affect their social skills and other behavior.  

When the day was over, we could not help but notice a “difference” going on. We thought about how would this generation grow up? How about our Fave? What kind of environment will he/she experience? What will be their normal?  

It is our prayer that this generation will be better and bigger than our dreams for them. We dream and zoom in to a new world where love and joy can be felt through actions and words, greater than what we have experienced before. Full of faith and hope, we pray for our Fave, that he/she would be welcomed in a world that is more beautiful than it was before. We believe in the promises of God to our next generation. Like a child’s heart and imagination, there is no limit as to what they can do and receive. 

His spiritual seed shall serve him. Future generations will hear from us about the wonders of the Sovereign Lord. His generation yet to be born will glorify him. And they will all declare, “It is finished!” 

Psalm 22: 30-31