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NAVIGATING THE NEW YEAR 2021

Dec 26, 2020

It is over. 2020 has come to an end. As years go it was a hum dinger. It is a safe bet most people did not have even the slightest clue when as they rang out 2019 what they would experience in the next twelve months. So, it is understandable if they find themselves feeling a little trepidatious about jumping into the brand-new year 2021. One thing most know for sure is they really have no idea what is to come. 


Still, there is a lot of good, there is always something positive if one is open to seeking the good. Perhaps it would be helpful to take a moment of introspection and look for the strength you found in yourself this past year. Perhaps you became a better parent, or partner? Maybe you became more patient or learned to appreciate people you paid little attention to in the past? The kid’s teachers, the checkout clerk at the grocery store, the trash collection crew—all those people who stayed the course and worked through it all just to keep things going.


Perhaps there are a few things you came to value less as a result of the 2020 experience? Who needs make-up below the eyes? Maybe you found your own natural unlacquered nails to be sturdy and lovely? Perhaps you are finding less value in stuff and more value in relationships and people? What if those folks who got stronger, kinder, closer to their friends and family all made an effort to hang on to that good, and carried it forward into this new year?


Wonder what would happen if they decided to love more and hate less? What if they all made a resolution to listen more, to try to understand the other side of the story? What if all decided to put problems on the table and worked with their neighbors, friends, coworkers, or family to find solutions instead of insisting on others accepting their solutions with no opportunity to contribute?


No one is helpless. Everyone can do something to make someone’s day better. It is a new year … share hope, be kind, love others as you love yourself and have a healthy, happy New Year 2021.

www.bustardcares.com

Bustard & Jacoby Funerals, Cremation, Monuments & Receptions has provided high quality funeral, burial, cremation and memorial services at their location in Casper, Wyoming since 1937. It is Casper’s only Wyoming-owned funeral home and enjoys a close relationship with members of the community including hospice and several local churches and ministers. It also is the only funeral home in the state with an indoor/outdoor Reception and Celebration Center. To search obituaries from funeral homes in Casper Wyoming, click here. To learn more about the funeral home, please visit bustardcares.com.

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Grief is difficult in perfectly normal times. However, when a global pandemic has us isolated, we lose two important comfort and coping mechanisms. Hugs are very hard to come by these days. In normal times the physical touch of a hug fills the vacuum when a person who loves another is at a loss for words but wants to show they care. Those who are grieving now, isolated and alone, have also lost another important coping mechanism. Distraction, via activity, is lost to many. Bridge groups are not meeting, church services and events are cancelled, volunteer activities have been suspended, all leaving mourners with many hours to pass alone.  If you know someone who has experienced a recent loss, look for a way to offer support and show you care. Three suggestions are: 1. Use your words. Make it easy, use the phone, make a call. For many, some of the newer technologies like Zoom and FaceTime may be frustrating. When a person is in the throes of grief learning something new can feel as realistic as climbing a mountain on a whim. While it’s great to see a face, being available to listen and to just talk is valuable. Make it easy. Make it regular. Set up a regular call time like coffee on Monday morning, cocktails at five on Friday, or lunch on Wednesday. A regular repeating time has the added benefit of giving both the caller and the person who is coping with grief something to look forward to. The more “you get together” the less you need to worry about what to say and what not to say. Conversation will become natural and will expand beyond the loss. 2. Offer to help where you can. Sometimes folks who are grieving get stuck. They are overwhelmed by a long list of little tasks that may seem simple to the rest of us. Where can I take the clothes? How do I safely discard medicine? How do I change the furnace filter? How do I get these leaves raked? Even the grocery store can feel overwhelming. Ask how you can help. Make a few suggestions. Keep in mind some people are not comfortable accepting help. Offer to do something specific. If that offer is not accepted, next time ask in an open-ended way such as “where could you use help”? If all else fails, just show up and pull the weeds. 3. Do something kind and unexpected. Bring dinner, buy a flower, put on your mask and offer a ride to the cemetery. Send a journal. Think cozy and warm. Drop off a hot chocolate kit, a mini pie, a scented candle or warm socks. Be creative. Show you care and be kind.
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