As 2020 winds down and the COVID 19 global pandemic rages on, it’s easy to look back at the past year and see only what has been lost. Certainly, topping that list would be the loss of life for many loved ones. Not far behind might be the loss of freedom that many of us had taken for granted as we raced about in pre-COVID days. Maybe it is possible, though, to consider what we may have gained in these past nine months of lockdowns and restrictions:
Accepting Uncertainty. Before COVID we had plans. Lots of plans: vacation plans, career plans, life plans. Now everything is somewhat on hold as we await the vaccination of, essentially, the whole world. We’ve been forced to live day to day without a plan, not knowing what the next day will hold. Each and every on of us has had to learn to live more impromptu, Plans? Schplans!
Maintaining Healthy Habits. The conflicting information that we have received about how the virus is transmitted and why some people become so very ill once infected has created a sense of fragility regarding good health for many of us. If ever there was a time to be more mindful of how we are treating our bodies, this would seem to be it. With gyms closed in many places, the simple exercise that a daily walk affords has become a new habit for many. While curb-side and take-out options abound in many areas, cooking for everyone who is holed up at home with us has become a daily way that we pass the time and care for one another in a tangible way.
Appreciating Others. For medical professionals and grocery store employees, the pandemic has meant non-stop work. As we stood behind new plexiglass structures to pay for our groceries, it was easy at first to be so caught up in getting through the store that we hardly noticed the people who were keeping the shelves stocked and the registers purring. But they’ve been there. They’ve kept us well-fed. They made sure we had toilet paper, hand sanitizer and masks. Then there are all the medical professionals who have been taking care of COVID patients and administering COVID tests. These heroes become more exhausted and overwhelmed as the days pass and the case numbers rise. Fittingly, they were first in line for the vaccines. They certainly earned this spot - in spades.
Finding Social Connection. As we huddled in our homes last March and April, one of the first things we reached for was the companionship of others. People whom we may not have made much time to talk to for months prior became our new Zoom buddies. We reached out to family. We reached out to friends. These long-time connections possibly took on a different kind of importance as more information about the coronavirus became available. We became more protective of particular special people in our lives who seemed potentially more vulnerable to the virus. With our work colleagues – who may well have been daily companions prior to the pandemic – many of us formed a different kind of bond as we struggled together to remain productive in the new world of remote work. In this new world, our work colleagues have more of a window into our daily lives – the cats and dogs, the toddlers and babies, and the unmade bed in the background. This window makes us all more human to each other.
Creating a Better Future. The Black Lives Matter Protests of 2020 brought to the forefront, once again, the importance of creating institutional change to combat racism. The spring protests reignited a flame that continued through the November presidential election. The country remains divided, but a majority voted for change. As we see 2021 on the horizon, let’s stay mindful of where we have been, what we have gained, and the work ahead, for all of us.