Thursday, July 9, 2020

A New Kind of Currency

The gratitude we have expressed for front-line workers during this pandemic should make us wonder—why haven’t we been doing this all along?

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By Isobel Farrell, Regional Director, Grimsby Member Centre

It is so easy to take things for granted. I can regularly go through my day having barely noticed all of the people and services that made my day go smoothly.

It is often only when such people are removed or services interrupted that we become more keenly aware of what we are missing.

One of the early, and more pleasant, surprises for me during this pandemic has been the outward expression of appreciation shown for essential workers. As a regular walker, I pass many houses and apartments in my neighbourhood with posters of thanks and walls of hearts. From crayon creations by young children to elaborate posters made by professionals.

Our own member centre got in on the action when one of our staff created a whole window of hearts. Even though the message of thanks wasn’t directed at me, I still felt a positive reaction to it. I can only imagine how a healthcare or grocery store worker must feel when they pass such encouragement.

I want this currency of gratitude brought on by the pandemic to continue. It’s long overdue.

I have had the privilege of representing healthcare workers for 30 years, and the dedication and commitment they have to their patients and residents is inspirational. Even when resources are limited—which happens all too frequently—they continue to provide dignity to those entrusted to their care.

Despite past efforts by CLAC, along with many other organizations, to raise the profile of these essential workers, the media and the public have, for the most part, taken them for granted. They haven’t given much thought to consider how our healthcare workers do what they do day in and day out. They just knew that the work got done.

The pandemic has changed this. We have had a front-row seat into the workings of our long term care system with all its flaws. We have read with worry as hospital workers attempted to prepare for the worst.

We now more fully realize the staffing challenges that each facility regularly faces. And we have come to realize just how vulnerable we would be if it were not for the professional healthcare workers who show up for work each day, ready to face whatever challenges come.

The Harvard Medical School describes gratitude as “a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals—whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.”

Expressing gratitude is more than just an action—it produces a deeper appreciation for someone (or something) that can produce long-lasting positivity.

So let’s continue this outward display of appreciation to those who serve—regardless of where. Let’s create an environment of gratitude that will allow positivity to shape our workplaces and our neighbourhoods, without the need for a pandemic.

A New Kind of Currency

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