Covid Reflections
Text & images by Hyacinth Reguindin
I had forgotten that the Easter season, like Lent and Advent, lasts for 50 days from Easter Sunday until Pentecost Sunday. Easter for me would usually only mean an extra bank holiday, or the special vigil mass, or egg-hunting for the children. Or, attending the ‘Salubong’ tradition as we used to have in the Philippines every Easter morning.
But I was reminded in 2020. During the pandemic lockdown, like everyone else, I tried to learn new skills, rekindle old passions, be artsy and crafty again. However, my thumb is not green enough and my fairy cakes aren’t rising, so I went back to writing instead. My book of reflections entitled “50 Days of Easter” was completed. But I only self-published it in March 2021.
Around May of 2021, members of the ‘Barkada ni Maria’ took turns reading my reflections after our nightly group rosary. In my mind, this is how it could sound like if there were to be an audiobook format. We were at the tail end of the pandemic then. But by August 2022, there was a book launch at St. Joseph’s Parish in Stevenage of my book, along with the book launch of “100 Miracles of our Blessed Mother” and showing of the short film “Katagman”.
I’m grateful for some of the feedback as follows:
I was intrigued just by reading the first line of the book!
Your book can be part of the school curriculum as a historical account of the pandemic.
The format is similar to the “Secret of the Rosary” by St Louis De Montfort.
It’s the perfect present for Easter.
You were inspired by the Holy Spirit!
May we have your autograph? Can we have a selfie?
I appreciate all those who continue to spread word about my book. Reverend Father Dale Orda in the Philippines endorsed it whilst celebrating his online mass at the Quiapo Church. I also had the chance to advertise it when I guested in the online streaming show ‘JhermiNATION’. The Piety Shop in our local parish of Immaculate Conception in Bicester has copies of my books on display too.
To date, you can buy copies from Goodreads.com, Waterstones.com, Eden.co.uk, Blackwells.co.uk, powells.com, Takealot.com, Bookdepository.com, Saxo.com if you’re in Denmark, bokkilden.no for Norway, vanderveldeboeken.nl and athenaeum.nl for the Netherlands, and Bertrand.pt in Portugal. It’s also been featured on books.google.co.uk. Proceeds go to charities and organisations that I support, as well as to the costs of the renovation of our village chapel in Pangasinan, Philippines.
Every day, I pray for the intentions of the individuals and groups who purchased my book. This is my way of thanking you all. Especially also for your generous donations. GOD bless each and every one of you! I hope you pray for me too.
May I also take this opportunity to acknowledge my proof-reader, editor, reviewer, and illustrator. And the book is lovingly dedicated to the victims and heroes of the Coronavirus pandemic. Except for family, I have protected the identities of the people whose compelling stories have moved me.
Approaches from friends and associates who’d like to write and publish have been coming my way. We are hoping for more collaborations in the future. They said they have a book inside them too. I believe we all do.
50 DAYS OF EASTER is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. A series of reflections in the time of the Coronavirus pandemic. Written for 50 days from Easter of 2020, from the point of view of a trying-hard Christian. But anyone and everyone can relate to this, as the whole of humankind have been affected by Covid.