By Ashtyn Britt
Remember in 2019 when we all thought that 2020 was going to be our year? Good times. In all seriousness, this year has been distressing for many people and has left many wondering if we’ll ever have any relief by the end. Well, I don’t have the answers to that. All I can say is while being mindful of the future and how to prevent further spread of disease, we should also try to make note of our present. This is not to say to ignore what is happening in the world, everything going on right now matters. The upcoming election matters. The pandemic matters. Black lives matter. Having justice for Breonna Taylor matters. Cracking down and properly punishing pedophiles and anyone involved in the Jeffrey Epstein case matters. The small positive things in our individual lives also matter.
We must take note of the positive things we do have, no matter how few and far between they may be, because they are what will keep us strong through the rest of this pandemic. We must find gratitude in the people we hold dear, we must make note of the schools who have worked so hard thus far to keep everyone safe. We must find solace in the number of people who are going and fighting for what’s right and working harder to hold people responsible. We must find comfort in the stories and shows we’ve loved in order to remind us there will eventually be a light at the end of the tunnel.
I wish I could give deeper and more philosophical advice in the face of so much tragedy, but sometimes, we need simplicity to bring us back to reality. We must love each other and remember that the Dante’s Inferno that seems to be 2020 too must pass, and hopefully make way for something better. The best thought I can give myself and anyone else is that while this all shall someday end, the few things that bring me any small relief now shall be remembered fondly for the rest of my days. The people I love are so far safe, and I am incredibly grateful to be alive and doing what I can for what I believe the right thing is. It is in the hardest times, we must be grateful for the parts of it that are the easiest.
Photo by Alex Johnson.
