Reflections
As we begin to become accustomed to the “new normal” that we face every day, we are getting an opportunity to reflect on the lessons that the pandemic has taught us so far. A handful of our team members at Brass Dome Ventures Ltd. have been reflecting on this time and the lessons that we have learned as a result of our experiences. Here, we share some of those stories with you.
Gratitude and Humility by Kelly Micetich
A few months ago, I would often find myself imagining what a quiet night at home with no obligations and no rushing from work, to school, to sporting events would feel like. I’d imagine being able to eat a sit-down meal with my family without having had prepared it the night before or ordering it from Skip-The-Dishes on the fly. What would it be like to say no to an invitation without experiencing the quiet guilt of disappointing someone? I’d always justify the busyness with a reminder to myself that I would miss it all when and if it was gone and that I was just like everyone else, rushing to nowhere because it was what we are all supposed to be doing.
As we watch this pandemic play out, we see the damaging effect it has had on our healthcare system and on our economy. Perhaps what doesn’t get as much news is the effect this pandemic is having on families and both the struggles and/or the triumphs that come with being locked inside our homes for months on end. We have all been forced to adjust in small and in monumental ways in so many areas of our lives. We have all had to grieve something in this season.
I’d always justify the busyness with a reminder to myself that I would miss it all when and if it was gone and that I was just like everyone else, rushing to nowhere because it was what we are all supposed to be doing.
While I know that my situation may not be the same as it is for others and we all have our own challenges to face, I am grateful for the lessons the COVID-19 pandemic has taught me. The forced down time and isolation has gifted me with a reminder of what is truly important to me, a reminder that life does not circle around me and my busyness. It has given me a lesson in humility, and with humility always comes gratitude. Gratitude for the people I love and gratitude for all the little things I took for granted in my former rushed life.
As we pick our lives back up over the next few months, I hope to emerge with a renewed sense of thankfulness for the opportunity we have all been given to learn, grow, change and hope to come out stronger than before. Focused on the things that matter.
Adaptability by Scott Reed
I have been amazed how quickly we have been able to adapt when forced to. The change has not necessarily been easy, but it has come quickly. We have had to adapt by working at home, restricting our travel, distancing properly, wearing masks, and doing meetings more effectively virtually. Our children and educators had to adapt quickly to learning/teaching online and transition into that within a very short time frame. Governments of all levels responded with programs and supports for individuals, charities, and businesses with such speed, that would have normally taken years to debate and assess, and they did it within a matter of a few weeks to a few months.
All this change and new way of living feels ever so ‘normal’.
This change has come with some benefits (time to reflect, appreciate our friends and families, slow down, etc) and with some very obvious costs (anxiety, lost jobs, increases in domestic violence, loneliness, and so the list goes). But now that we are about six months into it, all this change and new way of living feels ever so ‘normal’.
Resiliency by Kirby Gallace
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge to say the least. With two young children at home and having to balance work, life was turned upside down. We lost out on childcare — both daycare and family support — that we relied so much upon. Life was not easy, but we adapted and modified our everyday lives to learn how to enjoy the time at home, create new activities for the kids and spend as much time as we could outside. We realized how resilient everyone can be in a time of challenge and be able to adapt and make changes to make everything work.
The one thing that I have really taken away from this pandemic is how adaptive everyone can be and how everyone can pull together to support each other. As soon as everything started closing, we all changed our lives and schedules to adapt. Our company quickly reacted and made the decision to work from home indefinitely. It was a big transition, but it seemed to go off without a hitch and, within a short time frame, it became our new ‘normal’. As we begin the fall season, return to school, and more businesses start to reopen, everyday is met with a new challenge, yet we adapt and make it through each day.
Everyday is met with a new challenge, yet we adapt and make it through each day.
Unsung Heroes by Sameeh Salama
The pandemic forced us all to put the brakes on and come to a full-stop. Suddenly, our schedules became wide open and nothing that was on our calendars seemed all that important after all. For over three months we were locked in our homes with the only daily excitement being the daily update by Dr. Deena Hinshaw. Who would’ve thought that a Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) would become a household name and hold a star-status? In fact, it’s not just the CMOH who suddenly became famous — the head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Teresa Tam and her deputy Dr. Howard Njoo, and the hundreds of thousands of first-line health workers that are out there face-to-face with the pandemic and away from their families.
Those unsung heroes, who are far too often never seen or heard, are the ones who keep us safe, healthy, and are constantly on the lookout for health threats that are out there.
Those unsung heroes, who are far too often never seen or heard, are the ones who keep us safe, healthy, and are constantly on the lookout for health threats that are out there. It’s unfortunate that it takes a pandemic to appreciate what these people do, but I, for one, stand in awe and gratitude for what they do. I ask everyone to think hard of the sacrifice they make to ensure that we remain healthy to preserve our way of life and the future of our children.
We realize that each one of us will have different experiences. If we look closely, we may find similarities across the lessons that we are reaping from this time.
