A Reason To Be Grateful
So 2020, it's been quite a year and I am sure many of us are happy to see it drawing to an end so that we can start a fresh new year. There is no need to recap about Covid-19 as we all know what happened and we are still living and dealing with it daily. These times have been tough for families, individuals, schools, and businesses in a variety of ways. There are endless events that spring to mind about this year that make it memorable in not such a favourable way, but I think it’s also possible to identify things that have made it memorable in a positive way. One thing that I am hoping that I will take away from the past few months is a newfound appreciation for the simple things in life that I may have started to take for granted….
Zoom became a common platform in households on so many levels, for work meetings, kids schooling, online socials with friends and family reunions, just to name a few. Along with Zoom came the infamous fiascos with the “mute button”, kids crashing important meetings, and other technical headaches. But it did keep us connected. We could see and hear our teachers, our friends, our families. We could see the smiles on faces that masks hide, hear the laughter, see a new born family member, hear a child's first words. It wasn't what we were used to, but it gave us a new form of connection and we accepted it and adapted. We made it work on every level. To all the parents and teachers out there, we survived ‘Zoom school’! We did it, congratulations, well done, give yourself a pat on the back! For Zoom, I am grateful.
Mealtimes with children aren't always easy under normal circumstances, so three home cooked meals a day for a few months when everyone was home, often with limited ingredients available and minimal time to prepare, was challenging. Not to mention the daily sink load full of pots, pans, and dirty dishes! If you have kids, then without a doubt you spent some time in the kitchen together creating wonderful creations, glorious disasters and sometimes an absolute mess! But, despite all the challenges, we definitely spent quality time together with our children, preparing meals for the family or snacks to share. Perhaps our children even developed a new fondness for cooking, or an understanding of meal preparation for the household; discovered the steps required to bake fresh bread; learned to measure ingredients, or even learned how to crack an egg. These are small but precious moments of bonding with our children and examples of new lessons learned. These times were tough with panic buying and empty supermarket shelves, but my children never missed a meal and never went hungry. Not only did we have food during tough times, but a choice and variety of food. For food, I am grateful.
“State of emergency”, “Lockdown”, “Quarantine”, “Self-isolation” are not words I like to use or hear but hey, it happened, and still is happening in some places. For some people it was a desperately lonely time and still is. For some it was hard to be stuck with loved ones 24/7. For some, it was a time to thrive and learn a new skill. For some it was a time to declutter and clean. For me, I was able to spend more time with my children (who are growing up way too quickly) I was able to chat with my friends and family who had more flexible schedules when working from home and I was able to laugh with my work colleagues over endless lesson prep. I was able to eat dinner with my children and husband often, which was not always the norm BC (Before COvid). For all these times, I am grateful.
Lastly, something I took for granted and never in my wildest dreams imagined could be taken away, was the very simple act of human touch. At times, a hug can say something that words cannot. A handshake can feel warm and welcoming. A pat on the back can show affection. Holding a hand can express love and security. The scarcity of these acts in recent times has renewed my appreciation. For all these acts of human interaction, I am grateful.
Gratitude is something that requires practice. We can try harder to appreciate and savour good things, keep a gratitude journal, notice the beauty in nature each day, focus on your strengths and connect with family more often. The author of the Winnie The Pooh books, A.A Milne, wrote: “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude” and I for one hope to be more like Piglet during the remainder of 2020 and beyond!
Written by:
Tamara Moore (Buds Teacher)
Photo taken from:
https://www.positivecharcha.com/how-being-grateful-can-boost-your-well-being-and-success/
