Bringing up any positive aspects of the pandemic lockdown will have most readers snap shut their laptops so fast they won’t have time to get their fingers out of the way. I must focus on these to survive this mind-blowing global situation.
Who are we today compared to who we were a year ago?
This past year living in New York City has been a roller coaster. The ambulance sirens of last April gave everyone who could not escape the city PTSD. When I think of the 24 hour a day sirens, I still get almost sick to my stomach. But countered with the 7:00 pm clanging of pots and pans around the city, around the world in support of our essential workers, I felt at least we all were connecting as a city, as a country, and as a planet. I needed to believe this.
I came by a new wordage. “World Family”. This now becomes part of my vocabulary.
We had to learn to slow down, take a breath, and live day by day. So many of us have learned the simple life of being by ourselves and enjoying our own company. We have learned to cook, to read more, to rediscover board games and puzzles. We have learned how to keep ourselves and our families busy and entertained, strengthening our relationships. The threat to our lives and our loved ones quickly emphasized how much we love our families.
We have learned how to think outside the box, to stay connected in the most resourceful ways. We have learned to appreciate and bring focus to our older family and community members.Â
We have learned we are not alone. Not in our city, our country, or the world.
Through this, we have become much more aware of our World Family. We have connections throughout the globe with a commonality; sadly, because of a desperate and scary enemy, but I will take what this has given me.Â
I try to strip away the fear, the pain, the politics, the resentments, and the vulnerability of our humanity and focus on what we do have.
We have our life and we have the day in front of us, therefore we have hope.
Happy 2021Â
