Dear readers: As we approach the end of another year, I wanted to drop by and share my thoughts with you and for this year I’d like to use some words of wisdom that were sent to me by a very special lady; Denise Sanders and she did this when I was president of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians.
Here goes:
“In every journey there is meaning.
In every conflict, there is growth.
In every action, there is purpose.
In every moment of doubt,
Remember to believe!”
Very strong words sent to me by a very powerful lady and these are ones that I shall treasure always.
There is no doubt that 2021 was an even more difficult year for so many of us than it was for 2020. So many of us continued to struggle physically and mentally. So many of us continued to be challenged with adversity and this pandemic did not spare any age group.
From the youngest to the oldest the song was the same. For me, it was difficult living without my mom and my family close by but thanks to technology, the good old reliable land line, and FEDEx; I managed to stay above those tall terrible waves of struggle and challenge and in mid November my Prayers were answered when I was able to travel to the Caribbean to see my mom and family after almost two years.
This pandemic has brought out so many facets in us ranging from unlimited generosity, kindness, and thoughtfulness to behaviour of selfishness, self centeredness, and downright recklessness.
In 2021, I witnessed so many of our kids thinking outside the box as they found ways to create initiatives to help others. I saw communities coming together to help each other. I saw so many going out of their way to lend a hand to the more vulnerable. However and sadly enough; there was the other side of the coin where I got to witness the dark side of Humanity.
I saw individuals behaving recklessly; shouting to the top of their voices that it was their right not to wear masks and to vaccinate. However the important thing that they failed to remember that although it was their right; they should be thinking of not just themselves (the me syndrome) but the other (the you too as well.)
It did not matter how so many of us went out of our way to plead with this group to pattern their thoughts and lives after those young heroes of World War II. They continued to be selfish, reckless, and spoiled brats. In short, they continued to show the world how much work we all need to do in order to restore semblances of discipline, thoughtfulness, and consideration to each other.
My journey this year has taught me to be more appreciative and grateful for what I have and can do for others. =For wonderful family and friends! For the ability to keep my head above water and to continue to help others to be more patient, persevering, and committed.
I am extremely fortunate as I live in a country where I have access to everything that I need in order to live comfortably and more. A country where I can find ways to share and give to others.
Yes, we are asking each other to sacrifice much but I do not think that we have any choice in the matter! So many lives have already been lost and will continue to be lost until the vaccines are able to take control of the Pandemic. So many have already given up their lives to save others and this continues. We are not asking you to give up your lives! We are only asking you to help save lives yours included!
So please! before we say that it is our right not to wear a mask, or to be vaccinated, let us take a second to think of others. Let’s all stand together to save not just ourselves but also each other! We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of front line workers who continue to work feverishly to keep us healthy! To save us from the strangle hold of the pandemic! To bring medications and food to us! To those who continue to go beyond and above the call of duty!
Too many =ives have already been lost! Too many hearts have already been broken and too many tears have already been shed! Please! Let’s make it our new year’s resolution to reverse these trends and let’s show that we can work together to leave this world a better place for tomorrow’s generation. It is probably the best gift that we can give to each other for 2022!
Just my two cents for today!
Image 3D Recovery = from the Coronavirus. A pencil eraser erases the Coronavirus to reveal a rainbow.