Five Silver Linings from 2021
Pandemic-related terminology crept into our vocabulary in 2020 and became mainstays in 2021. Not only do the terms appear here to stay, they’re leading conversation topics. They do, after all, define great changes in the way we do life.
And although much of the change was unwelcome, silver linings can be found. Some of the changes are positive and worth cultivating. May they become mainstays in our lives.
Five New Terms and the Silver Linings Found
- The Term: Supply Chain
Supply Chain takes top billing. I’ve a friend waiting for a sofa ordered in July. Popular gifts weren’t available for Christmas. Many factors — from port congestion to pallet shortages — factored in. Yet, we found we could make do with less.
The Silver Lining: Lean on Others
We learned to meet our needs in other ways. We turned to neighbors and leaned on friends, both which offer nice dividends. Missing gifts didn’t reduce our Christmas joy. Life went on without those “essential” items.
2. The Term: Food Insecure
More people than ever before are hungry. My church packed weekend lunch sacks for kids who depend on school meals for nourishment long before the pandemic. As schools shifted to online learning, the need to feed greatly increased. Massive job loss added even more households to the classification.
The Silver Lining: Lend a Helping Hand
Opportunities to serve popped up everywhere. The extra time on our hands led to a more hands-on approach for hubby and me. We prepared lunches for hungry adults. We put up stock for a local ministry. We delivered groceries to the isolated. It opened our eyes to dire circumstances and proved more meaningful than simply donating money. We receive more than we give.
3. The Term: Reduced Capacity
Reduced Capacity means we encounter fewer people when we’re out, and more than likely we’re out less. The “Help Wanted” signs in restaurants and shops result in longer waits for service.
The Silver Lining: Go Slow
Less people in stores, restaurants, and the workplace equals less hustle and bustle. Our pace slows because our internal rhythm adjusts to our environment. A slower pace is good for our health. Our heartrate slows, and we breathe more easily. We have time to notice the beauty around us and find calm in it.
4. The Term: Social Distancing
Working from home to maintain social distance taught us much. First, it is entirely possible and predictions are the trend becomes permanent.
The Silver Lining: Live in the Now
It’s ironic that social distancing drew us closer than ever before. Hungry for faces, we seek eye contact when we do cross paths with others. Hungry for smiles, we’re more likely to interact with strangers. We pay attention as we practice being fully present. I now prefer talking on the phone over texting.
Silver Linings 2021 It’s ironic that social distancing drew us closer than ever before. #silverlining #goodbye2021 Share on X5. The Term: Flatten the Curve
As the number of Covid-19 cases climbed, scientists referred to the importance of flattening the curve in order to manage the virus. The pandemic also resulted in Americans flattening the curve on consumerism.
The Silver Lining: Be a Contributor Rather Than a Consumer
Whether because of reduced production, reduced income, or a reduced workforce, our focus shifted from accumulating stuff. Or maybe it’s because we’re figuring out what’s really important in life. My daughter’s New Year’s resolution is to spend more time collecting memories and less time collecting things.
I’m as eager for “normalcy” as anyone. Not only did the pandemic change the way we do life, it also changed us. Let’s together resolve to hang on to the positives while letting go the negatives as we recover in 2022!
Every cloud has a silver lining. Please share in the comments below one you experienced in 2021 as we turn our faces toward the new year. Looking forward to connecting with you!
One silver lining for me when all of this started was that our kids both shifted to remote learning for a while and my husband and I were both told to work from home indefinitely. Our daughter was a senior in high school and our son was busy at college and rarely came home on the weekends. My Mama heart will always treasure those weeks together even as weird and unsettling as things were.
Thanks for finding a positive take on some common phrases that always seem to have negative connotations. There is always a silver lining — sometimes we just have to look a little harder to find it.
My Mama heart relates to your silver lining, Leigh! Having my high schooler and college student under my wing for an extended period would have been heavenly. They grow up and leave us too soon. Thanks for sharing your experience; I love it.
Thank you for the reminder. We were getting close to feeling “normal” here in Montana. Then omicron made its way here and we are getting 15-55 cases a days in our schools (whereI I work) I was surprised by how much it negatively effected me. So I needed this.
I’m so sorry to hear this! The good news is this strain I should peak this month and soon be out of here. That is what I’m holding on to.
Prayers!
Great post! One of the biggest paradoxes of this year is how God has used a time of social isolation to deepen relationships. He is always busy working all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
True. Social isolation taught us how important social connection is. May we not forget.
Candyce,
This post resonated with me. There is so much for which to be thankful. In this strange time I count my blessing more every day.
Thank you for sharing.
Tammy
Right Tammy! I’ve learned above all else to not anything for granted. Having everyday moments snatched away taught me to appreciate them all the more.
Great thoughts and very GOOD points! ❤️❤️
Thanks, Melinda!
Looking for the good in these crazy times makes for a more thankful heart. I think the slower pace our lives have taken on is very refreshing. Also, we spend much less money now that we aren’t always running around. Thanks for the reminder to count my blessings.
I like the slower pace too, Paul calls it a quiet life, minding one’s own business. Thanks for dropping by!
What a great post Ms Candyce. Perspective is such an important part of our lives isn’t it ma’am. We can either let this life weigh us down and burden us, or we can change our perspective and live joyfully as God intended us to from the start. Amen ma’am! Thank you for another year full of blessings in 2021; and prayers for all those yet to come from you in 2022.
Thank you kind sir. Looking forward to the gifts 2022 will bring. I’m soaring with hope in this moment, May you have a productive and satisfying ranching year. Prayers!
What a great perspective, Candyce. Our flesh defaults to viewing the negative. We do need reminders to rise above the struggles and make lemonade out of life’s lemons. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Barbara. It’s hard not to get caught up in the negative as the pandemic drags on. But we persevere and find the good. And the Bible instructs us to gives thanks in all situations.
I loved your insightful article. Many of us have learned what is actually important in our lives through this horrible pandemic. I have shopped less, needed less things and valued people much more. I appreciate friends and family much more. Thanks for reminding us to look for a silver lining during every adversity.
Thanks Rosemary! I think the changes the pandemic wrought woke up a lot of people and shifted values. God always teaches us through those hard lessons.
Thank you for this thoughtful and thought-provoking post. With every silver lining you pointed out, I felt some of the stress weight lift. May we never lose sight of what is most important.
Heaven knows, the pandemic loaded everyone with the weight of stress. I don’t know anyone who was unaffected, except maybe for babies.
Thanks for stopping by, Lori. I appreciate your feedback.
A thought provoking message to encourage us to look beneath the surface…We are always told to look for the best in a situation (the silver lining), but the temptation is to whine and complain. Most of us have experienced that reaction. I think perhaps the best silver lining for me has been to “slow down” and live more in the moment instead of always being obsessed by a long list of oligations I think I must do as fast as possible. I’ve been reflecting on this for some time and I’m grateful for your encouraging message. Thank you!
That’s the area where I experienced what will become long-term change – being in the moment and taking the time to savor it. Losing those everyday things we tend to take for granted sure makes us more aware and thankful.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment.