There are lots of memes on social media about 2020. One I see regularly is captioned, “If 2020 were a scented candle…” and the image is a row of portable toilets on fire. Another asks, “If 2020 were a drink, what would it be?” The answer: a colonoscopy prep. Yes, lots of incredible things happened in 2020: the pandemic, working from home, unemployment, virtual classes, illness, and loss of loved ones …. along with hurricanes, floods, unprecedented fires, and record-breaking temperatures in the American Southwest. Yes, 2020 has been an incredible year. I’m sorry to say that the forecast for 2021 is not much better.
On New Year’s Day, my partner and I were having brunch in Pittsburgh along with a longtime friend. During brunch, our friend joked with us: “Hey! 2020! How’s your vision? Make sure you get your eyes checked!” Now that we’re moving toward the end of 2020, I want to revisit that question: how is your vision? What are you seeing?
I want to be clear: many of the events of this year are tragic. Whole towns were destroyed due to fire. Communities remain without electricity and water because of hurricanes and floods. Nothing can replace the lives of those who died because of COVID 19. The list of tragedy goes on and seems endless.
I learned important lessons from the AIDS pandemic. While literally hundreds of people I personally knew died because of AIDS in the 1980s, many of these people said something that sounded odd to me at the time: “There’s a way that this diagnosis was the best thing that happened to me.” I was never comfortable with that statement, but I accepted it as true for them. Having had decades to reflect on it, I understand more of what they were talking about. Tragedy often breaks us open. Sometimes, we think it’s just breaking us. Yet, the truth is that tragedy can break us open to something new, something different about life than we hadn’t considered before our lives were shattered.
I spoke to one person who lost his job in March. He was the last one hired and the first one fired when the pandemic hit. After months on unemployment, trying to find his way, he recently started a new job. “I’m glad I had that break,” he told me. “I was able to focus on what I want out of life and what’s right for me.” Many of us follow career paths because others tell us that they are the right thing for us. In middle age, this friend was able to refocus. It was an opportunity he probably wouldn’t have had without the pandemic.
I know for myself that I’ve grown closer to some of my friends including those in other parts of the country. We are much more intentional about keeping in touch with each other. I’ve also gotten to know some of my neighbors as we visit each other out of doors. While we were always friendly and said hi, we didn’t know each other. I appreciate how that aspect of life in my neighborhood has changed.
Most importantly, I’ve been much more intentional in focusing on joy and delight as it happens in daily events. Yes, it sounds prosaic, but watching birds, squirrels, and the process of flowers blooming has captivated me in new ways this year.
As I think about living in these difficult times, a line from one of the Harry Potter books has been a source of inspiration: “Happiness can be found in darkest times if one only remembers to turn the light on.” That light is in each of us. We can hide it or turn it on to shine as brightly as possible. That light isn’t dependent on external circumstances. No, it’s our inner light. We choose to let it shine.
As we move into the final months of 2020, how’s your vision? If all you’re seeing is darkness, then perhaps it is time to turn the light on. Yes, there’s a light switch in each of us that can illuminate even the darkest of times.
Image from Pexels.com