2021 was another tough year of sickness, loss, grief, and/or pandemic-induced stress for a lot of people. It is a truly unique time in history. While our stresses are real and our losses painful, the holiday season is a time to reflect on what remains, not just on what has been lost. If you’re reading this, then chances are you haven’t lost your job – how blessed we are the world always needs energy. And if you still have your job, then you are not one of the 500 million people pushed into extreme poverty (less than $5/day) by the pandemic. All of us have had the opportunity to get a vaccine, something 40-50% of the world may never have. This is a great time to be thankful for what went right.
COVID has taken much from us, but every cloud has a silver lining. We have had more time with family (perhaps, at times too much), time to watch our children grow while we work from home, and more time to connect with our aging parents. Perhaps when COVID ends (and it will), we will be better husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and friends to the ones we love because of it. I think we will.
Last year, we interrupted our corny practice of sending goofy gifts in favour of doing something more meaningful to those bearing a bigger burden from COVID. This year, we have continued with this tradition as we donate $6,510.72 to Nourish Nova Scotia, a local non-profit providing free healthy meals to children that do not have access to 3-meals per day. This is the exact amount of money we used to spend buying and shipping gifts to all of you – which I am sure while appreciated, was in the end, just more “stuff” being sent from some of the luckiest people on the planet to some more of the luckiest people on the planet. Hopefully, this gives you a little energy to reach out and help someone in need this holiday season – perhaps financially or perhaps emotionally with some kind words to someone who could benefit from them.