My Turn: Finding the courage to embrace change during the pandemic

It has been about two years since the COVID-19 virus invaded this country. It feels like yesterday, and it feels like long ago.

On a recent morning I woke to an extremely dense fog, a real pea soup. An isolating fog. It seemed a metaphor for us having been in captivity from the virus and all its attendant fears, anxieties, dangers and tragedies. I wanted it gone — the fog, the fears, all of it. I wanted my life back, wanted whatever sense of normal my life had been before this nightmare. But what was that "normal," and did I want to return to life exactly as before?

In the beginning, people searched for PPE and cleaning items, often stockpiling until additional supplies arrived.

When the vaccine became available, I and many others got vaccinated. It felt so good knowing that I was protecting not only myself but my family and community.

Months later we were progressing quickly in vaccinating the nation, but vaccine hesitancy and new variants have left communities vulnerable. Just as some restrictions were eased, we have had to recalibrate and double down on safety protocols.

The pandemic experience has changed people’s lives. Some have written and talked about it, and each story, while similar in many ways, unfolds as unique as the person telling it.

Essential workers have been on the job throughout. Doctors and nurses are exhausted trying to keep ahead of COVID-19. They are justifiably the heroes of the day. And ordinary people have been performing extraordinary acts of kindness for others going through a difficult time. Food pantries are working triple time. The generosity of strangers is a grace of astonishing proportion.

There is something about American innovation that flourishes in times of upheaval and chaos. There is the jazz musician who conducted Zoom sessions. Libraries have offered online courses and discussion groups. Many companies have gone online. Drive-by birthday parties, food deliveries, telehealth visits and online chats have provided an alternate means of connection.

After a year of virtual and in-person learning, most students are back. Guidance counselors, teachers and administrators can say "hello, how are you today?" in person; such contact is a balm for hurting students from myriad backgrounds and home situations. Kids can better learn when they feel safe, nourished and cared about.

We are relational people; this is the glue that holds us together as a society. Coming together again can also enable us to even laugh at how funny/strange and upside-down this time has been. Some have said that they have become more grateful, more authentic.

When cancer took the life of my awesome brother, Bert, in January 2021, great sadness enveloped me. I found it hard to process the loss, so I prayed. Heartened, I resolved to speak up, for example, by not being shy about sharing my feelings. I want my children and grandkids to know me as fully human, conveying the importance of loving and being themselves — and, by extension, making the world a better place with their lives.

Everyone has been affected by this time of COVID-19, this unchartered course of multiple challenges and pain. There will always be obstacles in our lives; facing them head-on can help us develop courage. Why worry about returning to "normal" when we can create something new?

Susan Scalone,

Shoreham