This time of year brings back memories.
It was 7 years ago, around Super Bowl Sunday, that I blogged about visiting an open house with my mom. That was 1 month into my 1st try at this blogging thing, and little did I know I would keep it up. Super Bowl Sundays during seminary in New Haven meant trekking across town, in the snow, to watch the Game at our friend Dax's house--a time for serious seminarians to devolve into cheering for sports. And, of course, this time last year was when the world began to truly take the coronavirus pandemic seriously.
What a year it has been. 2020 brought about economic hardship, devastating deaths, and a mental toll. If we go by the Lunar Calendar, the year of the Rat is at its tail end, and I'm ready for the year of the Ox.
But in many respects, 2020 was a restorative one for me. As society shut down, I reconnected with parts of myself that "normal" life did not always allow me to embrace--my love of staying home, disconnecting from societal functions and expectations, and simply being, rather than doing. Work remained steady, as I taught music lessons and organized ongoing projects--whether it be for the interfaith network I worked for, or social-justice-oriented collaborations with friends--over Zoom. And I had several personal calls each week, with individuals and groups of friends from all over the world. What I did not miss was the guilt of not attending church on Sundays--and the pressure of going out into society as a single person.
And when I did finally "go back to work," this past September, it was as a chaplain, and it was a dream come true. In the early stages of the pandemic, I found myself dreaming about being on-call at least once a week. So when the opportunity came to start a hospital residency, I rolled up my sleeves and dove in.
A year into the pandemic, and nearly 6 months into my residency, I have a few stories to tell, in honor of the patients and families who have been severely impacted by COVID-19, and on behalf of the other frontline workers, with whom I serve. This next set of posts will focus on the some of my chaplain experiences, for anyone outside of the hospital who might be interested.
As you cycle through them, may you bear witness to the sacred work that is ours to sustain together--whether in person, or in spirit.
Enjoy!
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