Coming to you live from another lockdown. Queensland has been very lucky when it comes to restrictions. In fact, we haven’t actually had a lot during this whole pandemic. Nevertheless, it has been a global struggle as we navigate this new era in our history.
There is a lot of information out there right now. It’s really hard to know what to believe, to not let the fear drive you and to be thankful. So, in saying that I am going to list some things that I am thankful for.
I am thankful for my husband. I feel so blessed to be doing this current lockdown with him. As cheesy as it may sound, he really is my best friend. So being unable to see anyone else besides him actually hasn’t been hard. Sure, we drive each other crazy sometimes but honestly could not imagine doing this with anyone else.
I am thankful for where I live. We are extremely blessed to live on some acreage, which has really helped. There is always something to keep us busy, something to look at, room for the dogs to run around. But I am also thankful for the country we live in. There are so many places in the world that have suffered HORRIBLY during this time and I think as a collective nation we take our country for granted.
I am thankful for the first world luxuries that we have access too. Internet, streaming services, food deliveries, heating, the list could go on. Coming from a country that has such a high poverty rate (South Africa), I am constantly grateful for all the things we have available to us. I understand how tough these times have been, I am a Wedding Planner and this pandemic has really destroyed a lot of our industries. People are angry and upset. People are frustrated. And I get it. But we can’t live in it. We have to acknowledge our feelings (they are validated) but we have to also have some self-awareness. We have to recognise what we have, that so many people around the world do not. It’s so easy to forget how lucky we are here in Australia. Is the government perfect? No, heck no! Is it better than most other governments out there? Yep, yep, yep. Centrelink, Jobkeeper, Medicare - these things are a luxury that I will never not be thankful for.
But most importantly, I am thankful that my immediate family has not had Covid. If that is the only thing you can be thankful for, I think that’s a pretty great one. I know so many people have brushed it off, and to be fair so have I. “If I got covid I would be fine”, sound familiar? But what if you weren’t? What if your mother, father, brother, sister, child or grandparent wasn’t ok? I think we forget that, as much as we talk about it being ‘just another flu’, a lot of families have lost loved ones because of it. And if you haven’t, well that’s a pretty awesome reason to be thankful.
This pandemic has taught our generation so much. For so long we have only ever heard stories of the struggles our parents and grandparents had to live through. Civil Wars, The Great Depression, World Wars, The Holocaust. This is the first time in our life time that something has truely stopped the world. And as horrible as it has been, I can tell you that I am so thankful to be going through it in this time of history. Where we can Facetime loved ones, order whatever food we want, watch whatever shows or movies we want, have access to electricity. It can be hard to look at yourself and be objective. It can be hard when you are angry and hurting and losing money to have a grateful mindset. But it is imperative that we do. Everything happens for you, not to you. The sooner you realise that the quicker you can change how you view everything.
So, what are you thankful for today? Big or small there is always something in your life to be thankful for, let’s not forget it.