My mom always told me something was bound to happen; something so major everyone would finally pay attention to the important things in life. Something so intense people would abandon the confines of the comfortable lives they knew and submerge themselves into a new, humble reality.

But as I sit inside and watch the world split in two, I can’t help but realize two things. The first being that my mother was correct. The major event she always warned would happen seems to be unfolding in front of our eyes in the form of a pandemic.

But the second thought that consumes me is that even in the midst of death, people cling onto materialistic tendencies. Any ounce of hope I had left in humanity vanished instantly when I focused my eyes on the news.

In my short 17 years, I’ve come to learn we all deal with our troubles differently. From what I’ve observed in my life, most people don’t handle inconveniences too well. And to a certain extent, I understand that. I, myself, am still learning the art of coming to terms with certain situations in my life.

While I can accept that some people don’t share my same opinions, I find it hard to wrap my mind around the fact that we live in a society where people will riot over not being able to get a haircut. We live in a society where appearance and self-fulfillment is worth sacrificing the health of those around us.

Yes, people are free to live their lives as they desire. People are allowed to complain, to cry, to vent. To live through a historical event like COVID-19 is to lose what little solidity we might’ve had, the few consistencies we could rely on in our hectic day-to-day lives.

As human beings, no matter how much we know better, we seek constant stability. We take things for granted, we don’t tell people we love them when we do and we hold petty grudges. We’re people: it’s what we all inevitably do.

Realistically speaking, I don’t expect anything other than that. Because again, it’s how we’re programmed. But I hoped, prayed even, that in the face of death, these concepts of humility and consideration for those around us would surface. I hoped people would see the errors of their selfish tendencies and stay home for the sake of the doctors who are at war every day, attempting to fight an illness that still has no cure. I hoped people would have sympathy and realize the impact of their actions, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

But this did not happen.

As I’ve watched the coronavirus seep itself into the lives of millions of people around the world, I realized even when faced with death, we remain careless and inconsiderate. We complain about having to stay home, despite the fact that these efforts are being implemented for our own safety. We complain about the fact that we don’t get to see our friends anymore. We complain about the fact that school is online. We complain.

Complaining is healthy, to a certain extent. Complaining is being able to process the things occurring around us and to vocalize the things that trouble us so we can find healing. But the problem with complaining is there seems to be no end.

When life was “normal,” when we could sit next to each other in class without it being a menace to our health, we still complained. Whether it was final exams or not getting those new shoes we wanted, the inconveniences were there nonetheless.

Rather than establishing our morals and love for one another during this time, we have labeled the pandemic as just another inconvenience, another rant reserved for our social media accounts. But the harsh reality, the disgusting and depressing truth to this all, is that if life were to return to “normal,” if classes were back in session, we would still be upset about the fact that we have to get up early in the morning for school.

In other words, our unhappiness does not necessarily stem from the coronavirus itself, but from our overall lack of internal happiness. We can’t coexist with ourselves on a normal day, much less in times of trouble.

This never-ending defiance against staying home, the protesters who demand salons be opened so they can go back to pampering themselves, the perpetual “I hate my life” mentality and overall ignorance will tear us apart before the coronavirus does.

If we take anything away from this time, it should be we are more vulnerable than we care to admit and the world owes us absolutely nothing. This pandemic isn’t “unfair” or “annoying,” it is life.

While none of us anticipated something so life-altering to take place, this experience should teach us the importance of living life to the fullest and cherishing the people, places and things we love.

Life is not a guarantee and it is not always a beautiful reality. What ultimately makes life beautiful is how we choose to coexist with the chaos happening around us.

As we sit at home and contemplate the frustration of being isolated from those we love, we must cling onto the things that truly matter. We must remind ourselves through all of this that the regulations and restrictions are what will ultimately save us and lead us back to each other one day in the future.

The one thought that comforts me on sleepless nights is we are all united by this in some way. We feel everything intensely as we live through it, but one day we will live to tell this story of how we lived through it despite the uncertainties. And we will feel proud.

What we do with this time is up to each of us individually. But if there’s something I would love for someone to take away, it’s to take this intermediate period and see it as an opportunity for growth.

You don’t have to become an artist or anything grand. Simply use this time as a chance to finally deal with the emotions you’ve been wrestling with. Sit with those thoughts in your head and learn from them. Learn from the things that surround you and appreciate the simple things you’ve taken for granted. Be honest about your feelings. Don’t resent your feelings, because ultimately the way we feel is how we will grow to remember these events in a future far away when all of this is over. Don’t fight the world. Stay home and grow.

There will be days where it gets hard to be an optimist, and that is OK. Being in pain and nurturing the pain is healing, too.

But above all, don’t forget the world will someday find a way to heal from this. And you will, too.