Editor's Letter: July 2020

The Manhattan summer has now fully arrived. The scorching sun, only interrupted by occasional downpours, is reigning over us. However, this year's summer feels different and even surreal. Enjoying the summer breeze in a park with friends is a luxury we cannot routinely afford. I, too, am mostly staying in my studio, except daily midnight strolls for fresh air. The sudden spike in the electricity bill is the proof of my summer hibernation.

Luckily, everything was in perfect alignment. My best friend made it to the final round of a South Korean singing competition. I couldn't be happier for him, except that I couldn't be there to congratulate him in person. (Feel free to check out my friend's YouTube, which comforts me tremendously these days!) I was on the right track professionally. My summer internship continued to offer me invaluable opportunities to expend my energy into something I am truly passionately about: intellectual property. So how can things possibly go wrong?

But then, for unexplainable reasons, I felt a strange emotion planting its seed inside me. As a natural defense, I busied myself with various projects to divert my attention. Still, I couldn't shake off this weird feeling, and it seemed that the seed was set to sprout, setting in motion the unstoppable train of anxiety and torpor. So I changed tack and decided to resolutely face what's growing in and becoming of me. I started to practice gratitude. What does that even entail? Here's how it works. Every morning, before I went out to grab a cup of coffee, I literally spoke out loud one thing I was truly grateful for the day before. I know it sounds lame, but it helped to the effect that the seed ceased to grow further, though I should admit that I failed to pull it out off my heart entirely. 

What we are experiencing today is not a small thing by any means. I know our natural tendency is to think of it as trifling and to pretend as if things around us were the same. It can be helpful for a brief moment, but, given that COVID-19 will be around for quite a long time, we can't constantly delude ourselves into thinking that everything's fine. Okay, everything will turn out to be fine. However, before we get there eventually, let's pray for the best, with gratitude serving as an antidote for the weary soul.