We have had to adjust to many unprecedented changes these past two years. Changes to the way we see our family and friends, the way our children learn, the way our teachers teach, the way we worship or don’t worship in our sacred places, the clothes we wear and the way we relate to the world. There are too many changes to mention. Some of them have been easier than others.
Along with these adjustments we have gained and lost. We might feel closer to those we love, but more distant to those we cannot see because they are far away or vulnerable to getting ill during the pandemic. Keeping our heads above water and not feeling like we are about to drown in constant uncertainty, is not easy at any age. As we move to the end of 2021 and try to look forward positively to 2022, there are a few things to keep in mind.
You are lucky if you and your close family and friends have been able to avoid illness. The devastation of Covid and its impact on many around the world is something we cannot know fully unless we have experienced it. Some are suffering from long Covid symptoms that can only be appreciated if we take the time to think about difficulty moving, getting energy, losing basic abilities like easy breathing, taste, smell. Thousands of people have lost their lives in our country alone. These people were loved by some or many … we must avoid thinking of these lost souls as numbers, they were amazing humans. Some were well known others not, except to their families. We mourn all these losses.
