Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish celebration that much of the world observes and celebrates.
I remember back in 2020, just as COVID hit the US, St. Patrick’s Day was one of the first large scale public events to be cancelled. Back then, I believed that COVID would likely be a short-lived event.
How wrong was I! How wrong were we all!
None of us could have ever imagined the life altering impact COVID would have, how our lives would be changed forever, and the effects felt for years to come. And here we are, two years later, having lived through unprecedented times; having adjusted to new realities; having lived with restrictions out of an abundance of caution; having learnt more about germs and community transmission rate that we ever cared to. We are still here and we are still celebrating St. Patrick’s Day together, with parades and river dyes; slowly returning to stadiums and outdoor events; becoming less socially distanced and more courteous about masks.
There is an unwavering resilience to the human spirit, a capacity to weather the storm and reach new lands, to endure hardships unimaginable, and to overcome them all. Our ability to withstand, to adapt, to redefine, to recreate is simple amazing.
Whilst I am sure that the Ukrainian people will not be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day just yet, time will pass, their spirits will find a way to stay strong, and their resilient resolve will not give in. Whilst the world will never go back to how it was, there will come a day when the Ukrainian people will celebrate together once again.
