Tuesday, May 26, 2020

This, Too, Shall Pass—or Will It?

Some aspects of life during the COVID-19 pandemic will pass. But much will linger on. We should accept it, plan for it, and make the most of it

Blogs Newsletters

By André van Heerden, Communications Director

If you’re like me, over the past few weeks you’ve heard someone say, “This, too, shall pass.” It has usually been when talking about the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Many are missing seeing friends and family and are wishing to get back to the way things were. And in response to complaints and frustration and as a message of hope, “this, too, shall pass” feels like the right thing to say.

My father used to say this to me when I was growing up. If I was struggling with something at school: “This, too, shall pass.” If I was experiencing some sort of heartbreak: “This, too, shall pass.” Even with moments of happiness, like in winning a championship: “This, too, shall pass.”

My dad could be a bit of a downer at times, but at least he was consistent!

A popular understanding of where the saying originated is that King Solomon was looking for a magic ring that, if a sad man wore it, he would become happy, and if a happy man wore it, he would become sad. He then went to a jeweller and designed a ring with the inscription in Hebrew saying, “Gam zeh ya’avor,” which means, “This, too, shall pass.”

Abraham Lincoln used the phrase in a speech before he became the 16th president of the United States. Over the years, it has been widely used.

While the phrase has a good way of keeping things in perspective in an ever-changing life and world, I wonder how appropriate it is now. Yes, businesses will open back up, restrictions will be eased, and eventually people will be able to travel again. But when will social distancing rules be lifted? And even when they are lifted, if a COVID-19 cure or vaccine is not available yet, how comfortable will people be to sit in a crowded plane or packed movie theatre or go to a friend’s house for dinner?

Some aspects of life during the COVID-19 pandemic will pass. But much of it will linger on.

We probably shouldn’t be making plans on what we’ll do when everything returns to normal because some things that were normal will have changed forever, including for workplaces and businesses. According to a survey conducted by Willis Towers Watson, “employers expect that the percentage of their workforce who are full-time employees working remotely after the pandemic will be three times as many compared with last year.”

With more people working remotely, fewer people will be commuting. Fewer coworkers will be socializing in person. The effect for some workplaces will be to change them forever.

The move toward a cashless society has been predicted for many years, but now with online digital business accelerating, and cash being shunned for fear of contamination, those predictions have moved closer to becoming a reality. Yes, a great many things will pass, but the ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic will not.

I still find the saying, “this, too, shall pass” comforting. It encourages me to not worry about daily concerns, but to remember the bigger picture and the really important things in life like family, love, and faith. It also reminds me to recognize that change is a constant and that we should accept it, plan for it, and make the most of it.

This, Too, Shall Pass—or Will It?

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