Welcome to Thankful Thursday...As we look back over this past year, I think it can be difficult to find things we are thankful for. Immediate thoughts come to mind about how much we lost or missed out on when the world as we knew it seemingly disappeared. We had to learn how to live in a world we could have never imagined including masks, social distancing, virtual everything and countless restrictions. We dealt with an overwhelmed healthcare system, unfathomable loss of life, the demise of many small businesses and too many canceled events and celebrations to count.
Can we find something to be thankful for despite all the loss, sadness, frustration and disappointment? While it can be difficult some days, I think some have been able to uncover silver linings. Sadly, many have dealt with the worst possible loss, that of a loved one. However, others could be thankful for the recovery of a family member or friend. One could also be very thankful for their own recovery, and some can be thankful to have avoided the virus all together. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that those who have been vaccinated are extremely thankful and can't wait for global widespread availability of the vaccine.
While we look forward to the day we can talk about the pandemic as a thing of the past, I think during this time we have learned to be thankful for some of the simpler things in life that we often take for granted. More time with family, exploring nature, discovering new hobbies and getting more connected with ourselves are just some of the ways we could put a positive spin on the situation. Although working remotely and virtual learning may be terms we will be happy to put behind us, I think for some it ended up being a better way to do things. If not better, it may have at least been a reasonable alternative that instilled some work habits which might be helpful moving forward.
We can all agree that this situation would have been far more devastating to all without technology. What would we do without Zoom!!! We are fortunate to have so many ways to still stay connected even if it has to be through a screen, This has showed us just how much can be accomplished virtually and how creative people can be. Of course this does not replace in person interaction, but there is a happy medium in there somewhere.
I can share the example of a zoom meeting I did while I drove to New York to pick up my daughter at college. My partners and I meet once a month. This is typically done on a Thursday evening after the work day in our office conference room and lasts at least 2 hours. On the evening of our meeting last month, I needed to go pick my daughter up at NYU for an appointment she had at home the next day, This is a 2 hour drive from where I work. Pre-pandemic, I would have waited to leave until after the meeting which would make for a very late night or skipped the meeting which is not ideal. In the Zoom era, I could do both! I was able to drive to NY and be a participant in the meeting at the same time. I'm sure there are countless examples of this type of thing, so I think Zoom is with us for the duration, and the ease with which it is used could be one of the silver linings I mentioned earlier.
I would love to see the world get back to normal as much as anyone, but I am hopeful that people realize what they can be thankful for even during these difficult times and try to make the most of every single day. Tomorrow is promised to no-one so make today count!🤗
