Reflection on the Year That Was

As the veil of COVID-19 restrictions is gently lifted, I ponder the question: How has this extraordinary time in our history impacted on me personally? To my surprise I have found the exercise somewhat cathartic and one that fills me with an overwhelming sense of joy and sense of gratitude.

Joy for the love of family and friends, the joy that simple pleasures bring, the joy of just being. Gratitude for being blessed with those in my life, gratitude for a newfound appreciation of the freedoms we experience living in this beautiful country of ours. It is a time that has strengthened my sense of what is really important to me, and it has been a time of compassion, strength, resilience, and consideration of others.

The question now begs: Do I look forward to going back to the way things were? The answer is "No". I have changed. I think we all have, and for the better. I want us to continue to care, to consider, to be compassionate, and to make time for one another. There has been a need to reset and move to a much simpler way of life where the little things can be appreciated.

In spite of all the suffering and sadness around the world inflicted by this awful disease, in many ways COVID-19 has been the catalyst for some of the finest traits of humanity. I will choose to remember the year 2020, not as the year of fear and disaster, but one of personal renewal and courage.

Courage comes in all shapes and sizes and is different for everyone. Courage can be about sharing worries and asking for help, trying something new, or pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. Finding courage can build your confidence and self-esteem, and make you feel good about yourself. During these uncertain times it is really important for all community to strive to find courage.

We are living in unprecedented times. Daily, our resolve as individuals, as communities, and as a nation is being tested, in ways we have not seen nor many of us experienced before in our lifetimes. The challenges of loss, change, adaptation, and transition, and the thought processes surrounding these, have become our new normal.

So what is our new normal? What do we feel we have lost? Is it loss of connection? Not being able to see friends and family freely, of being separated by distance, by illness or the need to protect? Is it loss of routine? Of how it used to be, when life seemed to have order and direction and a certain amount of reassuring predictability. Is it the loss of this year’s rites of passage (particularly significant to our Years 7 and 12 students)? Or is it having to change the way we interact? Unable to hug or to hold those whom we love, celebrate, and mourn.

For many, loss and the inevitable changes are a culmination of all of these. Children and adults alike currently yearn for the way things were. 2020 has been a tumultuous, dynamic year for our college community. Ebbing and flowing with, firstly, certainty of a brand-new year and then uncertainty as COVID-19 became an ever-present cloud over our lives.

In this analogy, what do you do? If the Year of 2020 was a story in a book, would you put the book down in disgust? Or continue to plough through to that longed for happy ending? Our Year 7s will plough on, of course.

The experiences of this year need not be viewed entirely as negatives. There are positives to be gained. By adapting and embracing change we grow stronger and more resilient. By supporting those we love and care about, we will continue to adapt to what is, and transition through this period in our lives to be more respectful, kinder, and considerate human beings. In today’s world respect, kindness, and consideration are often overlooked as small and insignificant gestures. However, just like the less than microscopic molecule that is a virus, that replicates by implanting itself in the good cells of a living body, these small acts of humanity can bury themselves in us and multiply. Thus producing individuals who are stronger, more resilient, and purer of heart and deed moving onto Year 8 in 2021.

Mick Butterworth

La Cucina

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