Chongqing - When bustling cities hit the pause button，when our souls catch pace with life, the time of home quarantine offers a chance to reflect on the valuable things we have overlooked in the rush of modern life. It can be a book, an aerobics session，a homemade dish, family companionship, or a simple greeting from an old friend.

We read more. We get time to finish reading a book that has lain there much time or starts to read a new book that has been in mind for a while. The joy of reading, again, presents a chance to feed our minds.

We cook more. Instead of take-aways and eating at restaurants, a majority of us have to pick up culinary skills. From clumsy attempts to the sublime, many proudly display their homemade dishes in Wechat moments. We realize that practice makes perfect and our own food isn’t necessarily less delicious than takeaways, and undoubtedly, healthier.

We resume friendship with old friends. We get time to scroll down the contacts list on our phone and send a “How are you?” to our distant friends to start the long-awaited chance to catch-up.  

We sit down with our parents and children, patiently engage in conversation with them, unable to remember the last occasion when we spent this much time with them. We cherish the moments in each other’s company.

We start to realize the real idols in life are those fighters on the front line. Those who sacrifice their lives for people’s wellbeing are the real heroes who deserve our admiration and vocal support.

We learned that uncertainties can lurk around, but we never allow them to discourage us. No matter if it's students who continue studying online courses, frontline workers sticking at their jobs, the millions of people working from home, or the businessmen coming up with smart ways to continue work, we all bounce back resiliently.

We see that international friends reach out a hand. We hear their encouraging words, we receive their supplies of needed goods, we see them defend us in front of rumors and irrational deeds.

Time for slowing down allows us to look into our lives with a new perspective and prepare ourselves for a fresh start, in a way with more care and a healthier outlook. The epidemic will pass, after all, the lessons, skills, inspiration we got from the hardships are a legacy to lead us to a better future.