“Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is no thread that is not a twist of these two strands.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
A few days ago we closed the book on 2020 and entered a NEW year. Typically, when one year ends, we say “Out with the OLD and in with the NEW.” We make resolutions and commitments to better our lives. We promise ourselves that for the next 365 days- we will- lose weight, quit smoking, get closer to GOD, and spend more time with family and friends. All very realistic and achievable goals…..well some of them. Sure, this year we can lose weight, quit smoking, and get closer to GOD but we WON’T be spending time with our family and friends. Unfortunately, it seems as if this NEW year will be spent pretty much like last year…..alone and isolated. Are you tired of being isolated? I know I AM!!! But it’s NOT over. The increased numbers of Coronavirus cases dictate that we will be spending this NEW year the same way we did in the OLD year-in social isolation. The NEW in 2021, can’t come in because the OLD Is NOT out, the OLD IS NOW THE NEW. So for this week’s blog, let’s talk SHIP about why the OLD IS NOW THE NEW !!
On NEW Year’s day, my BFF and I after exchanging our hope for love, health, prosperity, and peace -for each other in 2021, almost immediately began expressing our frustrations with still being isolated from friends and family. Not being able to go out to dinner, shopping, a spa day, or just hanging at each other’s house had become frustrating. Not being able to hug or interact with people that don’t live in the same household was equally as frustrating. She and I both believed that If people followed the precautions-wore a mask, sheltered in place- we’d probably be out and about by now. As we continued to discuss our frustrations, we discovered that our biggest frustration was having to trust others for our freedom. We agreed that if last year taught us nothing else, it taught us a lesson about the importance of trust.
Last year, revealed that we had to have a greater reliance on each other. We had to trust each other more than we may have actually imagined. It taught us that in order for us to avoid this virus and to remain healthy, we had to trust and rely on our own actions and the actions of others. We had to trust that people were actually staying home and sheltering in place. We had to trust that those that live with us were taking safety precautions before returning home. We had to trust that people were only going out to purchase essential items. We had to trust that people weren’t hosting and/or attending large parties, gatherings, and church services. We had to trust that people would be preventative by wearing masks and by taking the necessary precautions to remain safe. Yet, with the consistent increases in Coronavirus deaths and the spikes in contractions, we’ve learned that we couldn’t and still can’t trust others to do the right thing to protect themselves or us. With certainty, trust is the primary reason why the OLD IS NOW THE NEW in 2021.
It appears that nothing much will change in 2021 except a number in the year. We still won’t need a daily planner. We still won’t be able to eat at restaurants, go to the mall, movies, or happy hour. We still won’t be able to hug or spend time with our family and friends. We will still be sheltering in place. We will still be socially distancing ourselves from others. We will still be confined because others refuse to wear masks and following safety precautions. The OLD IS NOW THE NEW because people are selfish and refuse to conform.
In 2020, the OLD didn’t get out, in 2021 it simply became the NEW. So let’s all make a resolution to work toward getting out the OLD and ushering in the NEW this year. Let’s trust each other to mask up, to maintain 6-ft social distancing, to avoid crowds, to shelter in place, to wash our hands frequently, and to follow all of the safety precautions so that we can end this isolation. Let’s work together to make this a HAPPY NEW YEAR because if we don’t incorporate these precautions NOW, in 2022-the OLD WILL STILL BE THE NEW!!!
SHIP TALK: Do you have any frustrations about being isolated? What are they?
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