2021 LOOKING FORWARD
As 2020 draws to a close and the prospect of a hopeful 2021 approaches, it is a particularly good time to pause and reflect on what has changed and what I am hopeful 2021 might bring.
This last year has been consumed by a global pandemic that has brought different challenges for everyone: we are all weathering the same storm, but we are not necessarily in the same boat.
As an emergency physician, a local small business owner, and a member and supporter of the arts community, COVID19 has impacted my own life in many ways. 2021 has been a year of absences.
The pandemic, and the necessary measures to control it, have taken from us many enriching and positive things that many of us may have taken for granted. Looking back, what are some of the things that I particularly miss?
The sounds of socializing and laughter over shared stories in a taproom or a restaurant.
A night out with friends and family to enjoy the collective experience of live music or live community theatre. Being able to see the smiles on the faces of my colleagues which are now routinely hidden under masks.
Connecting directly and more intimately, without layers of PPE, with the suffering patients and their families that unexpectedly present to the emergency department afraid and uncertain. Not worrying about the risks of accidentally bringing the virus home to infect my family and loved ones.
I miss the handshakes, hands on shoulders, hugs, clinking of glasses, and all the other direct connections with friends and family which were routine and usually shared without a thought.
These are just a few of the losses that have struck me upon reflection, but I know that many Albertans have lost loved ones and have had much greater losses on top of these lost social connections. COVID19 has taken a terrible toll on many but there is reason for hope in the coming year.
2021 and a widely available vaccine cannot come soon enough. With a vaccine, and improved immunity within our communities, I look forward to a return of many things.
A return of social gatherings and the sharing of a drink, story, play, movie, or song in public spaces. I long for a revival of a trust in science and societal respect for the collective wisdom of scientific experts.
I am hopeful we can safely resume the practice of family being able to sit at the bedside of dying loved ones in the hospitals; no one should have to die alone or say their goodbyes over a mobile device.
A return to global travel and the possibility of not missing another holiday season with my daughters. And of course, I anxiously await a return to the simple pleasures of being able to gather with friends and family, and to connect and share experiences as the social beings we are meant to be.
It has been a difficult year in so many ways for so many.
2021 holds hope and promise for renewal, and with it the likelihood that the simple pleasures will be better recognized for the happiness they bring.
Having temporarily lost so many positive experiences in our lives will hopefully serve to make them all that more enjoyable when they ultimately return.