It is a prominent phrase that every dark cloud has a silver lining. It is a phrase used to give a sense of hope in dark times.
In the past few weeks our attention has been hijacked by what has been happening around the world and in our local areas regarding COVID-19 and the fast spread of the virus. It has been a dark cloud looming over the entire world as every corner of the world faces the novel virus, the deaths associated with it, and the fears of potential contagion. It is not hard to get sucked into the discussions, the debates, and the judgement of our leaders as they lead us through this world-wide event. But perhaps among this fear and anger also lies a silver lining if we approach these emotions differently and see things through a different lens.
I reflect on what this has meant for me and I wanted to share some of the things I have seen come out of the time spent working from home, maintaining social distancing, not seeing my family, friends and co-workers, and slowing down for a change.
Remote Working and The Missed Learning Opportunities
Some may love the idea of rolling out of bed, firing up the laptop, brewing the cup of joe, and login in to work to start the day in the comfort of your own home. Sure it sounds great in concept, but it is something quite differently to practice. I, for one, miss the interaction with my team and co-workers. There is so much that is learned on a daily basis that is not structured in your work. The little interactions you have at a meeting, at the office water cooler, or just passing by and sparking a small chat can provide nuggets of information and learning opportunities not realized while working at home. It has become apparent to me that those interaction although at times may seem part of the normal work environment provides opportunities for learning not experience from home. I have adopted and continue to look for ways to interact virtually with my team so that we can continue to grow and develop even in this difficult and unprecedented time.
Mutual Appreciation of Work
Sometimes when we are in the buzz of work-work-work we focus on what needs to be accomplished to get tasking done and get teams engaged. We wake up in the morning, follow our normal routine, and head in to work and not return until late in the evening. We eat, we interface with our family, put the kids to bed, and off to bed we go to start all over again the next day. This is something that has been done for generations and unlikely to change. We go through these motions in auto mode and sometimes we forget to appreciate the work we and our spouses do in a daily basis. I have observed what my wife does on a daily basis to not only do things around the house, but to also help our children get ready for school and support them as they continue to do their remote learning. This technology support is a new role for her and one she has been doing exceptionally well. In the past, when I was going to the office, this was not something I thought about, but now it is visible and I appreciate everything she does which includes keeping the kids quiet as I participate and host telephonic meetings and continue to do my work from home.
I feel that this time has allowed not only me, but everyone in my household to appreciate the things we do for each other as a family. My children are seeing and experiencing the level of dedication to my career, and my wife is seeing that I spend way too much time behind a screen typing, reading, editing and conferencing often telling me I need to take a small break from the computer. By being forced to slow down, and in reality being forced to spend more time as a family, we have come to appreciate everything we do for each other in a way that would have otherwise gone unnoticed; not on purpose but as a result of the busy lives we live.
Together is Better
A blessing in disguise occurred to my family in the past couple weeks. The internet and cable went out. That’s right, in the days were these things have been the sanity pill for a lot of us, our family was disconnected. This not only happened once, but twice within a week. Similar to being forced to be together, this event “forced” us to look for ways to live in the age of no internet or cable. This is a gross exaggeration of course, but nevertheless it is stated to prove a point. Our attention and that of our family gets hijacked on a daily basis by social media, video games, cable, etc. Our time to interact gets compressed and before we know it we missed an opportunity to connect.
hIn the past few weeks we have had time to be together and what a great feeling that is. We are having engaging conversations, we are having movie nights, we are taking walks, we are doing chores together. In a way I feel that we have gained more than we have lost. It is easy to get busy with work and forget about these little things so important to the development of a family. You see, I feel that we have to work together as a family to succeed as a family. We have to treat each other with respect and be honest with each other to maintain the beautiful trust within our tribe. There is no perfect family, and if it looks this way is because behind the curtain there is a whole lot of work, honesty and empathy to make it seem so. It takes a lot of work and it requires us to be honest with each other. In the end family is all we have, we have to value each other, we have to learn from each other, we have to trust each other.We have to clear the path for the legacy to come. Together is better!
We Will Return To Better Days
I count my blessings each day as I have the opportunity to continue working. I also pray for my family and friends whom I know may be severely impacted by the pandemic. I know several of my friends are small business owners and the toll on their businesses could be unimaginable. I also pray for all of my friends on the front line helping us fight the virus and keeping hope alive in a world where we may feel hope is lost. I pray for my Shipbuilders who through this have to continue to use their talents and skills to maintain our Navy vessels at the ready. We are part of something greater than ourselves and our efforts will not go unnoticed or under appreciated.
It is hard to believe that we will return to some level of normalcy, but I am the boundless optimist and I know we will return to even better days than before. I believe we will return to our new normal with a new sense of purpose, an appreciation for our family and friends, and a new level of empathy. There is two ways I can look at the environment we are dealing with. I can resolve to seeing all the negative energy resulting from the current events, I can be fearful of what is happening and go into seclusion. Or I can chose to see this obstacle as an opportunity to emerge a better a person. An opportunity to love my family even more than I have before, an opportunity to be appreciative of the things I have, an opportunity to count my blessings for the great friends that surrounds me and my family, and opportunity to be more empathetic with our fellow men and women, and emerge a better version than my original self.
I long for the days where I can see all my family and friends again, not on Zoom, via telephone, or passing without shaking hands. I know we will be together again and when that day comes. I know I will have a better perspective of what it means to be a part of this larger tribe we call the human race. We all long for love and affection. We all long for the bright smiles on our loved ones faces, and we all long for the comforting hugs that nourish the soul. I know we will return to better days!
Love you all and we should see each other again soon!
