Made for Resilience and Happiness: Effective Coping with Covid-19 According to Viktor E. Frankl and Paul T. P. Wong by Dr. Paul T. P. Wong - HTML preview

 Confession of a First Responder

This book is dedicated to all the first responders. May you find some help from reading it.

What should I do when I feel exhausted and angry while fighting a losing battle?

How can I protect myself while wrestling an invisible, deadly enemy?

Who could help me when I have lost my appetite and interest in life?

Who can restore my inner peace when I am troubled by all the suffering and death?

Who understands that I too have my problems and work stress even before the crisis?

Who knows about my own wounds, worries, and existential struggles?

When can I have some time for myself to regain my strength and sanity?

But I was born and trained for a time like this,

With my own feet, I rush where angels fear to tread,

With my own hands, I rescue people from the jaw of death.

I don’t feel like a hero, nor an angel, I am just answering my calling.

I’m still able to put aside my personal feelings and focus on saving lives,

I can still have a sense of satisfaction bringing comfort to a dying person, but how long can I carry on before I collapse while on duty?

What keeps me going is my firm belief that there is nothing more valuable then life–

I can see it in the sad eyes of those desperately wanting to live, when they can hardly breathe–

I can hear it from those struggling with all their pain but whispering the names of their loved ones–

Since we only live once, I want to make it worthwhile for myself and everyone else.

Meanwhile, I wish I could scream, cry, laugh, or dance as a normal human being,

I wish I could have a normal family life when this pandemic is over.

But I will always say Yes to life, no matter what.