As we bid farewell to what Time magazine described as ‘The worst year ever’ , many of us look to 2021 with hope, gratitude and a new-found resilience. Whilst it’s necessary to grieve the missed opportunities and tragedies brought on by the pandemic, anecdotally speaking, the majority still see the silver linings of an altogether horrifying year.
Never has there been a period in modern time where the world has come to a grinding halt. Our macro worlds instantly became micro as we were forced to learn a new way of life. It seemed like one disappointment after the next and anxiety rose to a new high as we navigated untested waters.
Yet, despite the stress and despair of 2020, so many people around the world have written, spoken and heralded the unique opportunity the situation brought. The isolation made us realise just how much we need one another, in fact yearn for one another and with this brought a new level of appreciation and gratitude.
The display of human collaboration and innovation around the world was both inspiring and uplifting. Simple acts like neighbours reaching out to the elderly and vulnerable shows how in times of crisis we generally choose kind. Teachers upskilled to bring school online and businesses reinvented themselves to simply stay afloat. We learnt new technologies to help us connect as working from home became the new norm. Medical marvels were achieved as researchers and drug companies across the world united in a race to find a viable vaccine.
So, as we mentally prepare for the year ahead with a vaccine on the horizon and hope in the air, let us take with us the resilience, gratitude, kindness and appreciation learnt in 2020. Bring it on 2021!