GINTA: The biggest lesson of 2020

One of the stories that captured my heart this year was about a couple of elderly gentlemen, veterans, one in the U.K., and one here in B.C., that decided to walk for charity. It’s not just that they fundraised for worthy causes but the fact that they could find something to focus on, and they acted upon it in their immediate world, which was very small, physically speaking, as they were confined to a tiny backyard, and to a sidewalk by a long-term care facility, respectively.

The crazy year of ‘what else could go wrong?’ is about to end. Many of us lost loved ones to the virus, many lost their jobs and countless small businesses collapsed or just about. At the same time, the richest of rich have increased their wealth by a lot. Yes, that is angering. And yet, shouting while scrolling through a social media feed will do nothing.

On the other hand, committing to support small businesses, local ones first, does.

We’re still in a pandemic, and we have access to the angry-face emoji to show how we feel about other people’s actions.

At the same time, through the same social media channels we get the other stories: people doing remarkable things, going above and beyond, all of it sparked by that one magical thing – personal commitment to something we consider worthwhile. Case in point: our own Kamloops Caremongering movement, which has been started in March 2020 by AnnMarie Aase and has been providing support to people in the community since with the help of countless volunteers.

I was in a thrift store a while back and saw a decorative tile inscribed with the famous serenity prayer written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr back in the ‘30s, ‘God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other.’

Not surprisingly, the same sentiment is found in many spiritual writings and prayers throughout history and the reason is but one: humans face tough times periodically. We’re obviously not the only ones hit hard by life’s happenings, and truth be told, we’re likely the most fortunate in the history of humanity given our volume of knowledge and scientific advancements.

The above prayer whether engraved on a tile, written on a piece of paper, or heard somewhere we can’t remember, has become more relevant than ever in 2020.

It is an invitation to reflect on where we find ourselves, which is amid a pandemic that we cannot change by wishing ourselves better. At the same time, it’s a prompt to act on what we can.

What drives change at a time when hope is at a premium such as now, is what each of us does – every personal act spurred on by the desire to change something while accepting the status quo of the things that cannot be changed.

Here’s to remembering that we’re all better for the world around when we make ourselves better, each of us, one step at a time.

May 2021 be a better year for all!

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

by Daniela Ginta

GINTA: The biggest lesson of 2020

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