It's officially been 1 year after COVID-19 shut down the USA. I've heard so many comparisons for how the last year has been. The movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray was a solid choice a friend of mine compared it to. I fired back with having the Bare Naked Ladies song One Week on repeat where you're really confused but there's some chicken and your brain stops tickin' while watching shows. Whatever you felt like this last year has been, it's probably not far off.
This blog post though is to celebrate us, the collective us, and celebrate us making it. There NEEDS to be celebration. Not just from saying we survived the virus as so many didn't, but even making it this far for our mental wellbeing just as much as our physical wellbeing. This past year has taken a toll on all of us.
Perseverance in the face of a worldwide pandemic is pretty epic if you ask me. Not only do about half of us in the USA have some form of mental health challenge we're facing, but couple that with having limited availability to actually work on that is almost a perfect storm. However all of us captained our ship through the storm. Some of us have barely come through it and have been patching holes in our ship the whole way. Others have been going storm to storm and another may be in the horizon. And still some found a tropical oasis and have been sipping on coconut rum in the sun (I'm looking at you Bezos...maybe invite us on the next trip?).
However your boat looks and whatever season of storms you find yourself in take pride in this: You've made it. You're still here. You haven't been beaten, and quite frankly, that was a hard punch you took this last year. Your resolve and perseverance has never been stronger, and you are technically just as qualified as any superhero to be celebrated.
So, as we come into this week of St Patty's day, take this week to appreciate yourself. Take an extra bubble bath, donate extra to a charity of your choice, put up a cheers to you and your family while wearing green, or whatever it is that you can do as an investment for yourself - do it - after all, we celebrate heroes regularly, and this week you are one.