| I promise you, I’m not sugar coating this situation with the title of this communication. I know how hard and exhausting the last two years have been for most of us . Many of us have lost loved ones and jobs, businesses and relationships. Many students feel they lost meaningful moments such as graduations , the joy of attending schools and colleges . Millions have experienced mental health challenges and are struggling with finding their way forward. It has been a very emotional and challenging time and yet when I ask many of our Rotarians if something positive came from the pandemic almost everyone says, YES. The other day while addressing my home Rotary Club i asked the audience what they learned about themselves during the pandemic. A lady Rotarian stood up and said, “I learned I was stronger than I thought. I was more resilient than I knew.” Many Rotarians shared how they adapted, innovated, reinvented, grew, and are now stronger because of the adversity they faced. Adversity is a university, and it is a great teacher and developer. For me personally, I wouldn’t say I grew stronger. I would say I became more faithful, loving, compassionate and relationship focused. I cried several times for the loss of life of my close friends like PRID Yash Pal Das and PRIP Luis Giay… Speaking of love, the biggest positive from the pandemic was the time I spent with my family and since I wasn’t traveling like I usually am for many events a year, we spent a lot of time together at home, talking, growing and healing . The most painful and challenging moment of our lives turned into a bond that we have never had before and despite all the pain from the pandemic I will be forever grateful for the relationship I now have with my family because of it. I’ve learned that we grow the most, not by living in the past, but in learning from it. We can’t go backwards. That’s a recipe for misery and despair. We must find the positive, take the lessons with us and move forward. I know it’s easier said than done. I also know that forgiveness and healing are often a big part of the path forward. But it’s a process and a journey worth taking. Learn from the past. Heal in the present and create your future! Do this individually, with your family , your friends , your neighbours and your organisation. Let’s positively move forward together! |
