The Reporter (Lansdale, PA)

What’s just around the corner?

- By Terry Alburger Brittany Pointe Estates

Have you ever taken a corner just a bit too fast? That sometimes has disastrous consequenc­es. My workplace has many corners, many long hallways that lead to … more hallways! There are hubs where multiple hallways come together, there are turns that lead to a plethora of destinatio­ns. In some areas, there are rounded mirrors built into the ceiling so that you can literally see what is coming around the corner. In those areas, there are few issues.

However, that is not always the case at every intersecti­on. There are many times I encountere­d near misses because I failed to approach slowly and look both ways. I have since learned to look before I leap. I no longer just plow through, whether walking or driving a car. Doing so could be disastrous. Throwing caution to the wind is not a wise approach — and in fact, these days, it is downright dangerous.

Our lives are filled with corners, filled with twists and turns and paths yet untrod. Just when you think your life is a straight shot, you know exactly where you’re going and what you’re doing, then bam, a corner appears, and you have to face it.

In 2020, we all had the same massive corner pop up seemingly out of nowhere. We were stopped in our tracks and told not to even attempt to peer around that deadly corner. But now, with the advances made and the vaccines being administer­ed, we are cautiously approachin­g a corner of hope. Though there are many ways to approach the unknown of a corner, intelligen­ce is still the best plan. We can now slowly begin to emerge from the trials of our COVID era with some optimism.

When approachin­g the unknown, it pays to be cautious and patient, because we never know what may come our way. We likely slow down, perhaps even come to a complete stop, peering around that corner to make sure the coast is clear. But then, we start up again, and we regain our momentum. Sometimes, what’s around the corner is something amazing, something hopeful, something liberating. We keep our hope on what’s around that corner.

So, what will be around your corner? I would certainly love to enjoy the company of my large family, and the freedom to feel safe going out socially again.

I don’t know about you, but I have a year’s worth of birthdays, anniversar­ies and special occasions to make up! COVID may have postponed these things, but it cannot steal them! Because soon, we will round that corner to the finish line of this dreadful pandemic. Soon, it will be behind us and, though we will take abundant care and be cautious, we will once again view the coveted normal, which we left behind a year ago.

So, take heart. Good things can lie just around the corner if we follow safety guidelines. Make sure that you take the time to congratula­te yourself for getting through a very difficult year. Once it’s safe, celebrate your toughness and your perseveran­ce. It was no easy task but soon you’ll be around that corner. And we hope and pray that the coast is clear.

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