This is an older blog I never published, and I am not sure why. It is quite possible I was going to complete it, but was sidetracked by work. All of us worked an incredible amount of hours during this time. This was written in September 2021 when I was extremely burnt out.
It has been 19 months of living in this “new normal” which is far from normal. I have mostly worked from home and recent simple encounters like sharing an elevator with someone has sparked conversations I normally would not have. I have developed a new appreciation for my fellow humans as we all share the commonality of not being immune to Covid19 and her counterpart mutation variants.
A simple smile and hello fills my heart with joy. There is no caste system when it comes to health. Health is wealth. You can be wealthy, you can be poor, you could be a celebrity, you could be royalty, but we are all equal when it comes to any disease which can attack our immune systems. No one is more worthy of health over another. When a loved one suffers, a rich person feels the same intense amount of pain as another riddled with debt.
Blogging has been on the back burner for many months now, as I work in healthcare, but for Human Resources. There were days when wave 3 struck our tiny province of Nova Scotia, I along with my colleagues were working 14 hour and sometimes 16 hour days. Hopping onto a computer after staring at one all day is hardly inspiring.
Working along side other health care leaders and trying to meet their needs for new positions which previously didn’t exist for screening and testing developed all around new respect for the work we all do. How each small piece of work by every colleague contributed to the completion of the puzzle. I believe we were all amazed by the resilience we showed and the devotion we all had working towards the common goal of keeping our patients and general citizens of Nova Scotia safe.
Our former premier Steve McNeil coined the phrase “Stay the Blazes Home” which turned into a Celtic foot stomping maritime song, novelty mugs and temporary picture frames on Facebook.
Nova Scotia made the New York Times as being one of the safest places in the world when it came to Covid19.
With the many lockdowns, unable to visit loved ones, family and friends, we developed a new appreciation for those within our bubble and when things reopened new found gratitude and value for our front line service providers such as hairdressers, massage therapists and the ability to sit down outside at a restaurant and have a meal.
Many marriages have broken down due to the isolation forcing couples to be together 24/7 and face the facts. Other relationships have flourished. Babies have been born. Small funerals with limited guests to attend.
Many have bought houses and renovated homes for more work life balance. We sold our luxury condo and moved into a small home to live more simply. We now have a beautiful garden thriving with vegetables and flowers.
The pandemic has forced us to look at our lives and to reevaluate what is truly important to us.
I know I am blessed. I have worked the whole time during the pandemic with no unemployment when many cannot say the same. Our cupboards and fridge have been full the whole time. We haven’t been impacted financially by the pandemic. My life is good. It has been very challenging over the past few months due to my parents’ health, but I am grateful I have been able to help them as well.
I am exhausted. I think a lot of us are exhausted, especially when you work in healthcare and during a pandemic which makes it a bit “extra”. I miss traveling and exploring this beautiful world, but we will all get through this.
What I have learnt is if you have your health, you are well on your way to bigger things. Keep this in mind when everything else appears to be a mess. And if your mental health has taken a toll due to the apocalyptic feel of this wild pandemic, talk to someone as you’re not alone.
Peace & Love – Rachel
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