CommentsMY THOUGHTS - We just experienced an uplifting trifecta weekend.
Passover, Easter and Ramadan. It is easy to get depressed seeing what is going on in the world. But…being depressed long term is boring and unproductive. However, you celebrated these holidays had to give you even momentary joy, or even a glimmer of hope that there are good things happening in our day to day lives.
Gratitude is a word we don’t practice as often as we should. I’m not being a “Pollyanna” (for those of you under 50 check Wikipedia) and admittedly when it comes to writing articles for CW it is so much easier to write about problems than things for which to be grateful.
I hope that many of you were able to have a similar experience this last month. It makes the word GRATITUDE feel under rated. But… for almost a month I experienced pure gratitude! No, I didn’t win the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes of $7,000 a month for life. Although I will admit to trying. As an aside, they have the best, most motivating marketing staff. I am amazed at their creativity and their constant pressure without being to too obnoxious. May make an interesting future article.
For the first time in 2 - 1/2 years, I was able to spend in person time with my two East coast grandchildren and gather for celebrations with almost all my immediate and extended family. I’m sure you have realized by now that I am one of those “in your face“ Grandmothers. Flying anywhere east of Texas gave me an excuse to show up in New York. Even with four local grandchildren, visits were far apart, outside or drive byes.
I read a forgettable book some time ago, but it had a line that for me, was unforgettable. It said, “There are certain times in your life when your heart takes a picture.” I had several of those moments and it underlined what is important in life.
This damn Pandemic played havoc with not just the physical constraints but our psyches as well. We, who were used to getting on a plane to visit family and celebrate important occasions, suddenly were house bound. Wasn’t it fun celebrating birthdays and holidays on Zoom? But gratitude is owed Zoom because it least we could all interact.
I think for most of us the memories of family holidays were imbued with the smells of familiar food. So far Elon Musk hasn’t been able to duplicate that in either his Tesla or Space Craft. As advanced as we have become with robotics, I don’t see them replacing Mom’s Chicken soup or Grandma’s honey backed ham soon.
Families are by nature are dysfunctional. We can all recall those times when Uncle Harry drank too much, or Aunt Lucy couldn’t stop complaining. Even closer to home… our kids when they were young managed to say something embarrassing generating dirty looks from some of the adults. Unfortunately, the Pandemic also formed a bigger chasm, which may never be fixed and that is the attitude towards the Covid vaccinations. It has destroyed relationships, divided families and caused many “unfriends” on Facebook.
I do not to this day, understand the politization of a health issue. I am so grateful that there were brilliant scientists and doctors who were able to come up with vaccines to protect me and by family. For the life of me I don’t understand how getting a shot or three which protected us from dying is a first amendment or a political issue.
I bet the almost one million Americans who died from the effects of Covid, the majority of whom were not vaccinated, would think differently if they were able to do it all over again. For those who considered the entire Covid Pandemic a hoax, there are no words to excuse such stupidity.
In the Summer of 2021, I ventured out of my bubble and traveled to London, France and Amsterdam. I was on a small, specialized tour and everyone on the tour had to show the organizers, the airlines and the various countries they had been vaccinated. Each country had its own regulations. This was before the booster shots were available. The day before we returned to the U.S., we were required to take a Covid test, and I tested positive. I had been experiencing a cold and cough for a couple of days but figured it was the normal stuff one gets on a trip. When I received the news, I was devastated. It was the DELTA strain, and I was sick and quarantined for ten days BUT so grateful I had been vaccinated.
I am sure there are some of you who are among the antivaxxers. Would you please explain to me why, no one complained that it was an affront of their freedom to get a tetanus shot, polio vaccine, smallpox and yellow fever to travel, flu shot, shingles, etc.etc. One of the good legacies of the prior President was his ability to get the vaccines finished in such a short time. He was also vaccinated.
At the same time, I don’t understand why wearing a mask is a blow to freedom? People, especially in Asian countries have always worn masks and no one complained or thought it abridged their freedom. The reason our flu season was so mild this year was because almost all of us wore masks when around other people. I think many will continue to wear masks during the next flu season.
I began this article talking about how gratitude is something we should all feel. Excuse my soapbox on vaccinations, but I sincerely would like to hear what is so awful about protecting you and your loved ones from an almost fatal disease?
I have been grateful for the small rain showers we have experienced even though we are hoping for a few big storms. On the other hand, what a magnificent Spring we have enjoyed. It seems the flowers are larger, more abundant than usual. Maybe it’s because we are venturing out more and feeling a little less ambivalent about seeing friends and family.
Finally, I am grateful to those of you reading my articles…whether you agree or not.
I sincerely hope that you all had some “heart takes a picture” moments during these past holidays.
(Denyse Selesnick is a CityWatch columnist and a former publisher/journalist/international event organizer. Denyse can be reached at: [email protected])
