When the pandemic was in full force and we were in lockdown, we were longing for “the old days” and imagining all the things we would do once things returned to “normal”. So now, as we get closer to normal, it’s a good time to reflect on what we’ve learned and to remember the promises we made during the lockdown. (“I’ll visit my mother more often,” “I’ll never take my job for granted,” “I’ll never complain about my kid’s teacher again!”) As things return to normal, it’s all too easy – and too tempting – to forget how we felt during that difficult year. But remembering the tough times is one way to learn from them. Sometimes it takes a life-changing event or a global pandemic to wake us up and make us realize how good we actually have it. To that extent, these things are true for many of us.
- We have more than we realize. Many of us have an abundance of things: goods, household items, clothing. The pandemic taught us we can make do with what we have, and we can share with those who have less.
- Some things don’t matter. So, you want to lose 10 pounds or maybe you don’t like that bald spot on top of your head. In the grand scheme, those things don’t matter at all.
- Some things matter a lot. The pandemic has had a way of making us realize what really counts: human connections-family, friends, neighbors, and even people we don’t know, like the cashier at the grocery store or the nurse working back-breaking hours.
- There is light even in the darkest of times. Even in the bleakest months of the pandemic, we witnessed moving acts of generosity and kindness: retirees making and distributing face masks, people shopping for their elderly neighbors, Italians singing from their balconies, and New Yorkers cheering on healthcare professionals. All these acts of kindness are just reminders of the goodness out there.
