As the end of 2020 looms, it would be natural to bemoan all the fallout from Covid-19. When it first broke onto the news scene back in March, I vowed I wouldn’t write anything about it. There was just too much bad news already. I didn’t feel like adding to it.
Prior to this difficult time, I rarely watched, read, or listened to any news. There was little that was uplifting and I preferred my own small, uninformed bubble. But that changed with the pandemic. Suddenly I was into CTV news, re-aquainting myself with Lisa LaFlamme and staff, welcoming them into my bedroom as I followed their online broadcasts each morning from the evening before. I also kept tabs on things on my phone: news bites from all over the world and yes, Facebook too, where I could see how people in my hometown and all over the country were coping with the crisis.
One thing that emerged from all the depressing reports was a resolve from so many to make the long days, weeks and months more endurable by caring for and helping each other in a multitude of ways. People who would normally never meet plunged into care giving, supportive roles in their communities. There were vast outpourings of love through fundraising drives, offers of assistance in procuring much needed personal protective equipment, human interest stories that illustrated bravery and hope, appreciation and respect for front line workers, the list was endless. So, taken in a positive context, there was good news too.
For me this makes each day a bit brighter. Yes, there are ups and downs, but we will pull through this together. That’s all we can do. My Christmas wish is that 2021 will be a year of love and hope for us all.