2020: A Gift Wrapped in Barbed Wire

 2020: A Gift Wrapped in Barbed Wire 

Here we are, approximately three months into 2021, the year we all have big hopes and high expectations for after the storm of 2020 rocked the entire world. Before continuing on in this blog, I would like you to take a minute to think of five or six words that you think best describe your 2020. Feel free to jot them down or keep them in the back of your mind to reflect on in a moment. My words describing 2020 would be: chaotic, scary, lonely, educational, selfless/selfish and family. These words help to describe my experiences from this past year as well as the lessons I’ve learned. In this post, I will share my interpretation of 2020 while offering a more positive way to reflect on the year supposedly full of negativity. 

COVID-19 Pandemic

Just over a year ago, I was at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia when my peers and I were notified that we had one week to evacuate residence due to the increasing spread of COVID-19. Though it felt very surreal, my mother was on her way from Ontario to pick me up the next day. Thinking back to that day, all I can remember were feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration, as this was not how I expected to end my first year of university. During the first couple months of lockdown, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t lonely and angry and willing to do anything to see my friends. The truth is, when I reflect on the person I was a year ago, especially in that situation, I can’t help but feel disappointed in myself. It wasn’t until a few weeks into the pandemic that I realized the much greater sacrifices others, such as front-line workers, had already begun to make. 

It wasn’t until then that I realized how selfish I had been and made the decision to understand how COVID-19 is affecting the entire world. I began to think about how young children must be feeling. By not having the opportunity to go to school, they are losing many months of in person classes, and thus losing the opportunity to continue to build relationships with their peers. I realized that this deadly virus that is most dangerous to the elderly population must be extremely scary for our seniors. It was through my increasing awareness of what was going on around me that I felt inspired to begin writing blogs. The point is, we are all affected by this virus and it would be selfish to act in ways that could be harmful to those around us. That was one of the biggest lessons 2020 taught me, sometimes you have to be selfless and make sacrifices for the greater good. 

Election in the United States

If you’ve read my previous blogs, you may have noticed mention of The GenWell Project which strives to promote human connection. Though the COVID-19 pandemic had physically separated us, in a way it also brought us all together through the shared experiences we were faced with. Just at a time when I felt we were beginning to come together globally and finding other ways to stay connected, the 2020 U.S. election created a significant divide in the people living in the United States, as well as people across the world who were following the race. With all of the uncertainties in our world, it was sad to see the headlines of riots and protests as a result of the 2020 U.S. election. It’s important to recognize that these riots didn’t simply affect politicians, Republicans, Democrats or even just Americans for that matter. Watching the election map separate into red and blue seemed to divide the country and set a negative tone for 2021 in many countries. 

This was further evidenced by the riots at the capitol, which occurred only 6 days into the year. People all over the world likely felt the negativity and anger that resulted from the violence and invasion of the capitol and feared what else may happen in the year to come. Looking back, it is very unfortunate that a year that was meant to be our saving grace, full of connection, growth and opportunity started off with panic and worry. 

Black Lives Matter (BLM)

In May 2020, I saw a viral video of a 46 year old African American man who was pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer for more than 9 minutes. I later learned this man was George Floyd, and he had died shortly after the incident. I remember the immediate feelings of sadness and anger I had after viewing this video. As a result of the tragic incident, protests arose all over to continue to fight for equality and stop police brutality. It is important to recognize the way both the Black Lives Matter and the election protests were handled. In my opinion, the security during the election protests was incomparable to the force and levels of security used during the Black Lives Matter protests. It appeared as if the security guards stood back, making it easy for protestors to enter the capitol and engage in violent acts. This was not the case with regards to the BLM protests. Many individuals noticed the differences in how both situations were handled and commented on one of the main differences between the protestors themselves. It was noticed that a large percentage of those involved in the capitol protests were white and there were questions regarding if they had been of a different race, whether they would have been treated differently and more harshly. 

Although George Floyd was not the first victim of police brutality and systemic racism, for many people, his death was their first realization of how serious this issue is. The frustration and anger of tragedies such as this one occurring repeatedly, united individuals all over to stand up for what is right. I remember watching the protests on the news and feeling like the media was portraying the protests as fuelled by violence, anger, and hatred, when this was not the case for all protests. Many protests were not violent, but simply a group of individuals coming together to make the world a better place. It’s the moments during the protests where people were dancing, hugging, singing and coming together that we should learn from moving forward. With all of the negatives this pandemic has brought, the Black Lives Matter movements have highlighted the fact that we are all the same. No matter your age, race, religion, gender, ethnicity etc. the pandemic has affected all of us in one way or another and any form of unequal treatment is simply inexcusable. 

A Positive Spin

Although 2020 was a difficult year with many obstacles, it reminds me of what my Mom always said about tough situations, that they are like gifts wrapped in barbed wire. Although something may look prickly and ugly on the outside, if you get through the barbed wire there is a gift or something special to be found. Like my Mom, I like to think that there is always some good that can come from bad situations. Whether it is a realization, a lesson, or the loss of something you never needed, there is always some good. Something positive that came out of 2020 for me (and I hope for others) was my newly found appreciation for front-line workers. I've always appreciated the work that our front-line workers do, but during the pandemic my respect for them grew exponentially. They worked tirelessly to protect people from COVID-19, care for those who became ill, and keep our essential businesses open. I’m sure they’ll agree with me when I say this past year has been nothing but chaotic. We also saw the selflessness of thousands of strangers as they volunteered to take experimental COVID-19 vaccines, even though they had no idea what the side effects might be. Their bravery helped scientists to ensure the vaccines were safe for people across the world to receive. 

During BLM protests, we saw communities all over the world come together and fight for what’s right, bringing huge awareness to this issue. These protests showed unity and commitment to addressing systemic issues that lead to unfair treatment of people based on the colour of their skin. As a result of this incident, many monuments linked to slavery over the world have been taken down, police departments are making changes and large corporations are standing with the BLM community. These actions help us move towards a society that is more inclusive of all people. 

Finally, 2020 was educational in the most important way. I like to say that I re-learned the importance of connection and family. Deep down I’ve always known how important it is to maintain close connections with family but being in school and so far away from home, these connections needed more attention than I was giving them. During 2020 I spent more time with my family than I have in a long time. I didn’t think I could love them more than I did, but I do. I’ve also strengthened my relationships with distant family members and friends and reconnected with people I hadn’t talked to in years. Although 2020 was hard, I feel blessed to have re-learned how to appreciate the people in my life. 

Looking Ahead

With vaccines rolling out and cases slowly decreasing over the world, I can’t help but feel optimistic about 2021. I always remind myself during difficult times that the pandemic is going to come to an end. Maybe not for a while, but if we follow guidelines and the vaccines are successful, it will end. When it finally does and we can put it in the past, I want to remind everyone to never forget the year of 2020 and not just because of how difficult it was. Years from now, or even later this year, when I reflect on the year 2020, I’ll try to remember that no matter how chaotic, scary and lonely it may have been, it was the year full of education, learning to be selfless and appreciating your family and friends. 

Now, take a look back on your words. Maybe they were all negative, maybe they were all positive or maybe they were a mix of both. Take a minute to reflect on those words and feel free to change one, two or all. I challenge you to think of at least one positive adjective if you don’t have one already. If you ever find yourself reminiscing on 2020, take a look at these words and remind yourself, that just because something is bad, doesn’t mean that it can’t be good as well. Like my Mom says, your worst nightmare may just require some digging and you may find a gift wrapped in barbed wire. 

Here’s to staying positive and testing negative,

Hayley

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/2020-was-year