Looking back, I am reminded of Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, on love and brotherhood. For a couple of years, I erected a wall high enough for self-preservation, to avoid any encounter with my neighbours.
“Thank you, Lord, I have no COVID.”
I live in an apartment building in Quezon City. On the same floor where I live, there are four apartments separated by two wings. One apartment on my wing has been empty for two years. My two other neighbours are very private people who have dogs. Let me tell you about my funny experience with the occupants in a neighbouring apartment.
Before the pandemic, I had no tolerance towards them because they would allow their two dogs to do their business in front of their apartment. Yes, it may be their space but at times, the wind blows from their direction others could smell the stench. Sometimes, these little dogs escaped to our area and they would leave their “mark”. Since I decided that it was not my job to clean up after them, I reported it to the building guard. There had been two instances in the past when I got very annoyed with the dogs that I told the owner not to allow their pets to wander.
When the pandemic hit and we learned that one of the symptoms of coronavirus is the loss of smell, I started changing the way I look at these dogs and their daily ritual. Whenever I stepped into the corridor and smell the disgusting odour, instead of getting angry, I would look up to the sky and say, “Thank you, Lord, I have no COVID.” I am still not 100% on board with the dogs but I have learned to acknowledge and respect them. After numerous complaints the owners now take their dogs outside the building for their daily ritual. Yes, they are some of God’s wonderful creations. I have also become friends with my neighbours. Sometimes, I would give them my homemade cookies and she would share her plants with me. Recently, I realized that their place was so quiet. The guard told me that the barangay health workers had taken them to an undisclosed location for quarantine after all, except one, tested positive of COVID. They may not know it, but I was truly happy to see them when they came back.
Looking back, I am reminded of Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, on love and brotherhood. For a couple of years, I erected a wall high enough for self-preservation, to avoid any encounter with my neighbours. I did not care so much about them because I have a world of my own. I pretended to be busy always. These invisible walls protected me, kept me safe, and so I thought. But these walls did not protect anyone from the virus, or from the accompanying loneliness and anxiety. The pandemic has taught me to be open and to build good relationships with my neighbours and I have developed a new tolerance. Now, I have more friends to share my brownies and banana bread with, or snake plants and mayana plants.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 15:12)
Mavic Mercene is a Columban lay missionary working in the Philippines.
