Waves of Kindness
As I think of what we’re looking back to in our past and looking towards in our future on the 1st of this year, I am – perhaps for the first time – at a loss of words. Given all that 2020 was, that seems about right. The past year was nothing short of a telenovela crossover with a dark indie movie. A striking contrast to the Hallmark Christmas movies I drowned myself in to crowd out the world around me.
I have precise memories of experiencing loss, heartbreak, grief, anxiety, uncertainty, fear and desperation more than ever before. And often I felt lonely going through these tides of emotions. But there was beauty in it all. These memories will always remain beautiful because I may have been feeling lonely, but I was never, not even for a nanosecond, alone. None of us were.
We saw in each other resilience, joy, hope and the relentless ability to keep on dreaming. I learnt to break down with the same ease I was trained to stay strong, because “Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.” It’s said that the most precious things in life are immeasurable, and so instead of Instagramming my top moments of 2020 I want to share a list of small, seemingly inconsequential, but gloriously kind acts I witnessed. You know who you are, but I hope you will see yourself in others.
The friend who sneaked a packet of Stroopwafels in my grocery bag as she drove me home.
The friend who picked up my call at 1am just to patiently let me cry my eyes dry.
The friend who home delivered homemade Scones with Jane Austen quotes to cheer me up.
The team who surprised me on Zoom for a birthday call when I thought it would just be a quiet afternoon by myself.
The brother who woke up at 7am and tip toed as he decorated the home with graduation banners and golden balloons.
The friend who took an emergency walk around the river making sure I left with chocolates in hand.
The friend who flooded my phone with memes before I woke up (many days in a row).
The dad who sent me a pack of 100 Twinnings tea bags when he heard I was down to my last 5.
The friend who sat with me, mask on, in the car listening to the entire Taylor Swift album in the middle of a thunderstorm.
The professor who, unprompted, sent me a message to check in with some Fauré and Bach Cello sonatas.
The mum who brought all her flower pots to my balcony so I could wake up to colours as we stayed indoors.
May our 2021 be sprinkled with a lot more such kindness and love. Here’s to good health, deeper connections and joy in the big and small.