As we all are eagerly awaiting the light at the end of the tunnel, I thought it might be a good time to take a look back at some of the positive things that humankind may have had the opportunity to take from this whole situation.
Firstly, there were the more obvious lessons that we’ve learned.
While the vast majority have spent a lot of time in their own homes, with their families and limited contact outside of that, our initial reaction was how bleak things could potentially be.
However, what we’ve had was the opportunity to embrace those that we call family.
Living in close quarters, we’ve been able to learn more about the people under our roofs.
In some situations, we’ve learned more about our spouses job while acting as an unintended coworker.
We can see how they interact with their fellow employees or staff, how stressful (or not!) their job is, and perhaps learn a little about an industry we may otherwise know little about.
We’ve had the opportunity to learn more about our education system. While we are quick to jump on teachers, we became them overnight. Granted, some schools and teachers have offered more support than others, we now understand the importance of a lesson plan and resources that are available to help teachers, classes, and our children.
We’ve also been learning about how our children behave as students, and how willing or unwilling they are to learn.
We’ve adapted to their styles and have probably tried countless methods of getting them through their learning day and in the very least, have helped them learn to count backwards as we all counted down to the end of the school year together.
Screen time. Something we constantly battled before, and may often now find ourselves extending during our at home work days or just to find a quick five minutes of space for some peace and quiet.
Educational apps are quickly downloaded and consumed, making us feel slightly better about the situation.
Cooking and baking. A task we often have little time for, or care to learn became a quarantine hobby and even competition for some. Shortly after grocery stores ran out of toilet paper, flour and yeast were next to follow.
Buying a loaf of bread became secondary to making it ourselves.
Spending more time at home suddenly meant having more time to cook and bake and hone a skill that we had buried deep down.
Then, there are the lessons that are not as immediately recognized but probably more important.
Like our appreciation for others.
While we always try to show appreciation for front line workers, the level certainly grew along with the threat they were suddenly facing.
Health care workers, first responders, and security suddenly found themselves facing an enemy unlike any other.
They came together and worked long hard hours and could very quickly find themselves victims of those they were trying to protect.
The front lines also expanded to jobs that were much less likely to call themselves heroes – those working in grocery stores and essential goods.
Those that we paid little attention to before that cashed out our purchases, or bagged our groceries are now being praised alongside doctors and nurses.
Our appreciation in general for human kind during this pandemic has grown.
Along with outwardly appreciating those on the front lines, we found ourselves appreciating those that we are now almost mourning the loss of.
People that we had in our close inner circles, those that we had grown accustomed to seeing on a daily or almost daily basis, and those that perhaps we would just see in random passing. Handing out smiles or hello’s and brightening our days in small ways.
Having to live in smaller circles and primarily with those we live with, we’ve grown to appreciate more the people and things that we’ve suddenly found ourselves without.
Which brings to our next subject – things.
As malls and stores shuddered in the wake of the pandemic, and grocery stores put limits on things that were considered essential, we’ve really come to value what really matters.
Making less trips to the grocery store and having little to no opportunity to aimlessly wander shops, we’ve come to limit our purchases and the mindless things we bought in past.
We have learned what we really need to survive, and almost more importantly, what we can live without.
Material goods and unnecessary purchases have become secondary.
Family, health, and the value of the great outdoors and appreciating the things we already have, are the important lessons to come out of this pandemic.
We’ve seen who has truly aided us and guided us through these unprecedented times and have earned our appreciation and trust.
Those that have found their way and worked through all of this, and those that have merely survived.
We have truly learned the value of togetherness especially while not having the opportunity to be together in person.
We’ve learned new ways to step up and join forces.
Companies even such as our own, have learned what is really important and have found ways to adapt and make the best out of this situation.
What could have been a dark cloud over 2020 has definitely thrown out some glorious rainbows, and its up to us to grab on and wrap ourselves in the goodness that is still out there.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
