The "pause" that changed us.

Three years ago today, we saw this tweet, followed by a mandate to shelter-in-place. Not only San Francisco, but people around the world got a similar notice days or months before or after. Never could we have imagined (at least I didn't), what would come next.

Fast forward 3 years, and here we are today. This morning I had to take some time to reflect...

Almost 7 million people have died of COVID19 since the pandemic started, so yes...I started by being grateful that my daughter, my husband and I are here today.

As I looked back, I remembered the anxiety, the stress, the tears, the anger, the frustration, the fear...but also the laughter, the joy, the hope, the love. We all have stories of this time, stories full of emotion with all tones of feelings. But for me, this rollercoaster was also full of learnings.

Resilience

During the pandemic, human resilience was proved and demonstrated. Humanity managed to pull through. It was the resilience of doctors, nurses, scientists, first responders, world and community leaders, mothers, fathers, children...so many that got us through the midst of it all. We manage to bounce back from adversity, and rise to the challenge...some in heroic ways.

The power of faith

In the face of fear and adversity, faith gave me courage. Faith allowed me to find comfort, to see things in a different light. I held on tightly, even though there were days it was shaken.

Lending a hand

We can't and shouldn't remain indifferent to others' pain and needs. The pandemic reminded us of that. Before, we accepted that apathy was normal, part of the daily routine. But what a joy to see people helping each other! We knew we couldn't get through this alone, so we reached out to neighbors, to friends, to our community, to those that needed a hand. We bang pots and pans, we sang and cried together.

The power of a hug

During the pandemic, one of the things I missed the most was hugging my mom and my friends...seeing the smiles of others in the street (instead of their masks), giving a kiss, a pat on the back, holding a hand...human touch. Perhaps it's because I'm Latin and hugs and kisses are deeply rooted in our culture, but I think we all missed that human touch. It turns out that when life gets tough, a hug can heal, and say more than a thousand words. Now, I value every hug I give or get, because I know what it's like to be 6 feet apart.

We're more than work

We found comfort in music, cooking, photography, painting, exercise, hiking...and more. We learned new things, and discovered new passions that made us happy. We remembered there was more than work. When our routine was stopped, we were forced to look beyond our "box", and we found a whole new world waiting for us. Things we liked doing, but stopped because we didn't have time...things we forgot about ourselves. These passions we call hobbies, complement us, they make us full.

We are one

We all are part of this beautiful world. During lockdown the sky was more blue, pollution in several cities went down, nature flourished and in some cases hit the reset button. We changed our relationship with nature. Being confined to four walls and staring at screens for hours on end, we went on hikes to get away, to escape...nature became our sanctuary. My hope is that we also learned to respect and care for nature, so future generations will get to enjoy it as well.

The power of a tribe

Some of us formed pods during the pandemic. Whether this pod was made of friends or family, it was our refuge and strength. We laughed and cried together...and yes, we also drank a lot of wine. We were there to listen, to help and encourage one another. During a pandemic or in "normal" times...life is still a rollercoaster, having a tribe to have your back makes all the difference.

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest times,
if one remembers to turn on the light." 
- JK Rowling         

Today, we should remember, we should honor those that left us, we should be grateful. But I hope that what we lived these past three years was not in vain. I hope we all learned a couple of lessons from this time, and that we carry them with us.