I read somewhere that the opposite of happiness isn’t sadness, but hopelessness. And with how things are now, we can’t seem to keep our hopes up. It’s been an on and off situation, we have seen businesses close then reopen after a month and employees looking for part-time jobs while they wait for the situation to progress. Honestly, I’m not seeing a tiny bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Up until now, there’s no end in sight.
2020 was okay. We were able to slow down and spend quality time with our families (well most of you), discovered hidden talents, found new hobbies, and savored solitude. It has been a bittersweet year for sure where we all have different stories and struggles to tell. Somehow, we were able to see the good side of things, we all look forward to vaccines arriving, others find the work-from-home setup exciting while most of us are resilient enough to endure the crisis. But there was something we had in common back then; we were optimistic and that’s a sign of hope. It kept us going.
And now the vaccines have arrived. Some were hesitant at first, but now more are eager to be inoculated to move forward and get going outside the four walls.
So, here’s 2021. I know we’re all tired, and can’t muster the fact that it has been a constant cycle of quarantine status and bad news (I stopped reading newspaper headlines months ago), I’m not sure if there is more bad news out there or if we tend to focus more on it, that’s why we are getting more of it. Instead of being proactive, we became reactive to whatever situation arises. We are more inclined of making more short-term goals than long-term goals to avoid disappointment. It seems like we are navigating in a sea of uncertainty, trying to stay afloat and gasping for air. We are all demotivated.
I can’t help but ask, are we moving forward?
Hope is vital and a personal resource, it gives meaning to our lives and is essential for coping. As the current situation feels like a marathon with no finish line, we may feel hopeless and that’s completely okay. Prior to this pandemic we all have ways to cope with our “stressors”, and I’m pretty sure we’re all having a hard time now because our movements are limited.
I myself don’t have answers, I have learned to take my day one day at a time, but I know that for us to move forward we must do it together. It’s a collective effort to move towards the future, a post-COVID world. Taking action is also a symbol of hope. Instead of sitting and waiting for good news why don’t we make opportunities? Instead of hurting one another, why don’t we share hope with everyone? The path may not be clear but let’s all develop a strong sense of hope to adapt and take detours. Amidst this uncertainty, one thing is certain --to keep going and never make a U-turn.
Gerard Apurado
Pastry chef