This Week's Reflection for Hope and Resilience

This is part of a series of weekly messages of hope and resilience that will be made available through Employee Connections and printed copies for those who do not have easy access to computers. Read last week's reflection here.

The significance of 2020 will be with us forever. We can now look back at it with keen hindsight to reflect on its lessons.

Perfect vision is often referred to as twenty-twenty vision. According to an article by the American Optometric Association, twenty-twenty vision describes visual acuity, or how clear or sharp someone’s eyesight is. The articles also says only 35% of the population can see clearly without corrective lenses. With glasses or contacts, the number shoots up to 75%. The remaining 25% still do not see very well. Considering these facts, it is hard not to see the parallels with the year 2020. 

Is it possible that 2020 was the year designed to help us see what we really needed to see, and to focus on what’s important? Was the ultimate purpose of 2020 to bring attention to both the valuable and the meaningless aspects of life so we could adjust accordingly? And despite the fact that we now can benefit from looking back at it, how many people remain blind to the gifts born of 2020, such as the value of slowing down, the preciousness of each day and simple moments with loved ones? 

Visual acuity also considers peripheral awareness; what is really going on in the space around us? Depth perception is also a measurement of good vision; are we able to observe the fascinating subtleties of the world, or are we looking at life at face value, without considering the endless beauty underneath? The ability to see color, or not, is also a measurement of visual ability; enough said. 

Some folks among us are farsighted, meaning they can see well at a distance but are unable to bring nearer objects into focus. Others are nearsighted and can see items that are close but not far away. This further confirms my suspicion that 2020 was a collective vision test, designed to broaden our perception of things close and far, trivial or significant.

When you look back at your 2020 experience, what can you more clearly see?

- Chaplain Crystall Williams, Methodist Hospital

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We know these are difficult times. If you would like to speak with a chaplain for support, please feel free to reach out.

Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital: Call Operator “0” and ask for the chaplain to be paged.

Methodist Fremont Health: Call Scott Jensen at (402) 290-1408.