The pandemic has been going on for nearly 2 years now. I can’t help but wonder – have we grown more socially awkward during this time, or did the isolation just surface the worst in us? Have the things that we normally kept hidden with our busy working schedules and a dozen hobbies started to pop up?
Observing my interactions with people over the past while, I must admit I have learned some important lessons.
1. You will lose close people, people in your inner circle
The number one lesson is also the hardest one to accept. When I felt the most vulnerable and scared, I sought comfort in people I considered the closest. Little did I know they would turn their back on me and never look back. I did not fully understand how or why, which leads me to the next lesson.
2. You can move on even without understanding
I used to seek closure; always and with everyone. I am a person who likes to say what she thinks and how she feels. However, not everyone is the same. People have walked out on me without me understanding why; with time I’ve stopped looking for answers. Instead, I have accepted that I can let people go and I can move on regardless of them.
3. There are amazing people out there who want to be in your life; let them
As disappointed as I was in some people, I was equally amazed by some new people who entered my life during this time. There are people who helped me when I needed them, sometimes even without knowing they were helping me. I can be quite skeptical and cold towards new people, so I am currently working hard on letting new people in.
4. People who want to be in your life will ALWAYS find a way
This sounded like a platitude to me, so trust me when I say it’s not. No matter how many years have passed, how many heartbreaks or kilometers there are between you, the people who matter will find a way. Always.
5. Stop trying to impress people who don’t matter
I am so guilty of this one. Sometimes I try so hard to be nice and kind to people who are completely undeserving of my attention that I lose sight of people who do matter. Sometimes, I lose sight even of myself. Don’t worry too much, see the points above and below.
6. Be kind to people who do
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young
With all these observations, I’m starting a new year hopeful. I am hopeful that there will be less isolation, that more amazing people who enter my life, and all the amazing ones that are already here will find a way to stay.