Published to Newsletter on May 31, 2023
Tracey L. Briggs, MA
Supervisor, Employee Wellness
How do we mark the passage of time? Can you recall the address of your first job or the phone number of the house where you grew up?
Ask me how long I’ve been supervisor of Employee Wellness and I need to take a moment to think about it. But if you ask me where I was when that first plane hit the World Trade Center on 9/11 and I, like most folks, can tell you in quick recall. The momentous events in history like the assassination of JFK, the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and the attacks on September 11th are so branded on our minds. Why is that?
It’s the way the brain operates. Neuroscientists call this a “flashbulb memory.” These events are so easily recalled because of their emotional intensity. The more emotionally jarring the experience, the more clearly we tend to recall it. That’s why we can recite, with shocking clarity, the day in March 2020, when we began the long stretch of solitude during the COVID pandemic.
Now, fast-forward three years. A lot can happen in that amount of time. It is almost long enough to complete a college degree, or it is enough time for a baby to be born, learn to walk and talk, and be ready for preschool. So, what about your growth and learning during the last 36+ months? From the most traumatic events can come the most tremendous gifts like valuing the importance of others. That became more poignantly clear in our social isolation.
We resurrected gratitude for many things previously taken for granted. We gave thanks to the frontline healthcare workers and those who made ingenuity their mandate. People who rose to the occasion to make takeout food, Grub Hub delivery, Instacart, online grocery orders delivered to our car trunk, Zoom meetings and Amazon next day delivery were all a part of keeping the world moving forward during a time when it fell eerily quiet.
Even as we see that life goes on, history can provide an anchor so that we do not forget. History can bring humility. It’s not about how strong we are—but just the opposite. We see how fragile life can really be and that brings a dose of modesty—and of hope to the everyday things. Indeed, that’s what brings context and perspective— Memorial Day is for good reason and why we must remember the ultimate sacrifice of so many with humble gratitude.
Tags: EmployeeWellness
