One day, hopefully not too far down the line, life will get back to normal.

We will no longer be told to stay indoors as much as possible, we will not be fined for being in groups of more than three, we will be encouraged to visit and embrace our elderly relatives and friends, restaurants and bars will open again, and we will be allowed to travel, for business and pleasure.

The Coronavirus pandemic has temporarily halted life as we knew it. But, once this is over, it would be wrong to go back to normality as if nothing has happened. The new normal should not be the normal that we had become so used to just a few weeks ago.

The normal that was in place before the first case of Coronavirus was registered in Malta on 7 March was a normal in which all was taken for granted. We were caught up too much in a life that was running at full speed, with no pause to appreciate what we have. We were running from one task to another, and those few moments of relaxation passed too quickly before we returned to the breathless routine.

Let’s face it – today we are upset because we are told that visiting our elderly relatives would put them at risk. But how many of us, when life was normal, found the time to go visit these same relatives? Let us all admit that we saw it as a chore, and found every imaginable excuse not to do it, sometimes not even managing a daily call.

Today we are also upset that we are encouraged to stay at home, and most of us are obeying the guidelines. But how many of us, when life was normal, found the time to watch a film together as a family, play an indoor game or simply spend 30 minutes having a family conversation without taking a peek at our mobile phones just in case we missed something on the social media? Let us all admit that spending days at home has helped us re-discover our closest family members. Yes, there might have been some altercations, but all in all it was a nice feeling to get to know something about your son, daughter, wife, husband, mother or father that you had not known before.

Today we are also upset that we cannot catch a flight to a distant land to spend some days on vacation. But how many holidays came and went without really taking a break, and instead we rushed through the days without really enjoying them as we worried about the work that was piling up at the office and, in a bid to cut it down, spend an hour or two checking emails?

Bad as this time may be, let is serve at least one purpose – that of learning to appreciate what we have, and not to take anything for granted again. The simple pleasures of life have been temporarily taken away from us, and we are all looking forward to that time when the isolation chains will be broken and we are let out without restrictions.

When this happens, remember also that there are duties that need to be fulfilled. That elderly person you want to hug today will still be waiting for you when this is all over, and so make the effort to give that embrace before it is too late.

You might live to regret it for the rest of your life.