2021 - Part 2 - Personal Bessings

2021 - Part 1 - General Reflections

Wow...what a year, hey! When people were excitedly declaring the end of 2020, I was thinking, "Things don't just get better because the clock ticks past midnight". I was praying for a better 2021, but didn't expect the first day to magically remove the dramas of 2020. 

For me, 2021 began with a season of loss and grief. In March, we were informed our friend was in the ICU after 2 big strokes. She was only 44, and one of the healthiest people we knew. I struggled to know what to pray...for healing? For a peaceful departure? I just put her in God's hands. Nobody wanted to lose her, but neither did we wish a life of suffering or loss of independence on her. In the end, God took her home. Her departure shook us deeply...and also brought people together. I know she would have loved that... People connecting, and re-connecting in shared mourning, reminding each other of their importance to each other. I also have no doubt she would have heard those precious words, "Well done, good and faithful servant".

This was also the time we were informed my father-in-law had terminal cancer... God took him home only a few months later...in May. We were so blessed to be able to travel to NSW to see him before he left us. The borders were closed a few weeks later! His passing meant I had lost both my parents-in-law. We no longer had family living in NSW. It was a huge, unexpected loss. So many "small" things stopped. No more skype calls, text messages, sending gifts & cards via Express Post... and the death of dreams that won't come to pass... You often don't realise how important and valued these "small" things are until they stop. 

Early in 2021, after the many Lockdowns of 2020, Melbourne successfully eradicated covid! We were beginning to experience a sense of our "new normal". People were beginning to socialise and enjoy exploring their surroundings again. We were venturing out, beyond restrictions we had become used to. We were seeing our families again. Churches were open, no longer solely online. Coffee catch ups were back. Complacency slowly crept in... "Don't worry, nobody has covid!" But many were still aware that could change. There was no guarantee. Some people predicted a coming "worse wave". It FELT unrealistic, but we were still on guard, in a sense.

Then...it happened. After all the suffering & hard work of Melbourne and Victoria to eradicate the virus... Outsiders with no understanding of how much we'd endured, recklessly brought it across the border. "Recklessly" may sound harsh, but at the time, Melbourne felt abused. There was little remorse from those who deliberately ignored our proven Covid-safe rules. The honeymoon was over! Those predictions of "worse" came to pass... Melbourne was no longer the "World's Most Livable City". We gained a new title, "World's Most Locked Down City". 

2021 has been a rollercoaster year. People reached their limits. Covid-fatigue became the normal. EVERYBODY was tired. Everybody was fed up with not being able to see their families and friends. Birthdays were spent in Lockdown- isolated from loved ones. Significant birthday parties were rescheduled, rescheduled...then cancelled. Weddings were up in the air again.

We needed Work Permits to go to work... PPE was ramped up. Not only were staff/carers Covid-fatigued, but our vulnerable clients displayed signs and symptoms. They coped much better during 2020. But the resilience some showed in 2021 was just beautiful. It was a challenging year, giving so much of ourselves mentally and physically. Trying to help people have a good day, despite the many restrictions and Covid-safe practices. It was a blessing to go to work, although by the end of the year, we were ALL utterly exhausted! The Christmas break couldn't come fast enough.

If 2021 were a cupcake, the vaccine was like adding choc chips made of mud. During 2020, people prayed for a vaccine. In 2021 they were threatened by the very thing they prayed for. There were so many variables, facts vs myths, etc... And minds that ran wild with whatever information they read or saw, without first checking the facts. Fear-mongering and division became very evident. People became divided. Many made the decision to have the vaccine, after doing their research, weighing up the pros and cons, and much prayer. Many chose against it. What I've found, is Christians I know who felt to have it, felt God's Peace. Many, like me, were hesitant. But God's Peace is EVERYTHING. Many who chose against it, also have that same Peace. It's those who have little to no peace who seem to be caught up in the confusion. Nobody WANTED to have the vaccine. Most recipients felt they needed to protect those they love, the front-liners, community, and themselves. For those who have peace about the vax, the benefits far outweighed the risks. Plus, we have faith in God's protection. Without that, we wouldn't have His peace. 

Unfortunately, the vaccine mandate was enforced. We lost some great colleagues. It was a very unsettling time. I made the decision a week before the mandate was announced, so feel very blessed that I was NOT forced. It took many months for me to feel that peace. But when it came, it never left. It took faith...and now for myself, and many others who have crossed that bridge, there is no turning back. 

If you are still unsure of the vaccine, I challenge you to stop listening to ALL voices for a day or so, then only listen to a few voices you trust- who will give you honest and factual information. Because, any voice with a biased agenda will just steal your peace and feed your confusion. Then make your decision, either way, WHEN you feel peace. You are responsible for YOUR decision, nobody else's. Also, don't forget to love those who have chosen differently. 

I love a quote I recently heard, 

"It takes faith to HAVE the vaccine,

and it takes faith NOT to have the vaccine".

 

Now that the new variant is out there, it looks like we won't enjoy the feeling of living in a "Covid-free" state again, or at least not in the near future. But we also won't experience the same kinds of Lockdowns we've endured during the last 2 years. I honestly think lockdowns won't be as effective, as many Covid-fatigued people have reached their limit, and blatantly ignore the rules. To healthcare workers like me, it's disrespectful and selfish, but clearly evident that Covid-fatigue is real and people are greatly impacted. 

It feels that 2022 will need to be a year of LOVE. People are worn out... We need to positively reconnect as a community. Forget the bad and focus on the good. Melbourne should be proud- we DID IT! We suffered. We endured. We didn't give up, although it would have been easy. The majority of people did the right thing, and now we're all reaping the rewards of freedom and reconnection. Let's not forget how hard we fought for this.

We don't know what 2022 holds, but I feel more hopeful and expectant than I did on 31st December 2020. 

Thanks for enduring the rollercoaster! Here's to a happier, more connected 2022! 🦋