Imagine Hope - Mar 2021
Reflections
Twelve months ago, I reached out to Jill Bauman, President and CEO of Imagine LA, asking about ways that I might get involved with the organization. She put me in touch with Brian Rosenbaum, Community Engagement Director, who asked if I might write a monthly post for Imagine LA’s e-newsletter.
In reflecting on all that has occurred in the past year—from the outbreak and continuance of the COVID-19 pandemic to becoming a mentor with Imagine LA—certain themes or lessons have emerged for me, the first and foremost being that connection is key.
Keeping in touch with friends, family, and loved ones—reaching out to and checking in with one another—has been a vital comfort for everyone who has been isolated or kept apart during the pandemic. Even a simple text to say hello, I’m thinking of you, I hope you are well can lift the spirits and let someone know that they are not alone. I have taken what I have learned from my own experience and paid it forward with my mentee and her family. Because we have not been able to safely meet in person, I have felt that it was even more important to check in and catch up by text, phone call, and Zoom.
Several vital skills that I—and I am sure many others—have learned this year are flexibility, patience, and understanding. It is remarkable how quickly so many companies, organizations, and individuals switched course and adapted to the socially-distant work-from-home way of getting things done! As I have recounted in a previous post, Imagine LA had their first Grab n’ Go event for families within a couple weeks of the first lockdown and just as quickly switched to a virtual model for mentor training. But it has also been important to have patience and understanding for those who were not able to adapt to the changes as quickly. It has been a struggle in so many ways and remembering that everyone is trying to do their best under the circumstances has been key to keeping a level head.
Finally, something one cannot fail to notice in reflecting on the course of a year is that time marches on. Where we are now is not where we were a year ago, nor where we will be a year hence. We succeed. We fail. We learn from our mistakes. Relationships grow and develop. Nothing lasts forever, good or bad. There will be more hardships to come for all of us, and more joys.
It has been a delight to work with Brian and the Imagine LA team this past year as a writer and volunteer, and I look forward to continuing my journey as a mentor in the months to come!
