Our parents used to breathe a sigh of relief when their several children had completed their series of vaccinations. I did the same when I felt my precious daughter had received all of hers. Somehow it felt like a shield against some awful diseases.
Parents didn’t question the wisdom of it. They just gratefully accepted that scientists “in the know” recommended what was best for the nation - actually even for the world. |
Vaccines seemed to work. In 1952 there were 60,000 cases of polio in the US. Since 1988 when vaccines were used, the number of polio cases has been reduced by 99.9%. This drops from an estimated 350,000 cases per year in more than 125 countries, down to 37 cases in 2016 in the final three endemic countries (Pakistan, Nigeria).
Result? At this time with the global pandemic of Covid-19 still very much around us, and monkey pox hard on its heels, many folks have opted out of trusting vaccines.
It’s kind of understandable. Folks with all recommended immunizations suddenly find themselves positive for the latest variant of Covid, Omicron.
I found myself in this situation. But, instead of sneering at its usefulness, maybe the better thing would be to wonder how bad my infection would have been without those shots?
There is no answer to that of course. But, if you have to choose between a painless arm injection and the months, possibly year-long effects of long Covid from the disease, I know what I would choose. Without hesitation.
That’s what experience does.
Do we need to wait for disasters before we give the gift of kindness to each other?
It doesn’t matter where you are, or how hard it might seem to overcome your own feelings of sadness and anxiety about world events and your own life. You can still find a way to give a kind word, a text, or a pat on the back of the head to someone else.
Kind acts towards others can truly change the world, one day at a time. Think about it.
And what about gratitude? Thinking about three things each day to be grateful for can give you a whole new perspective on life for tomorrow. Practise makes perfect. You can even write them down each day! Gives you a journal of your life.
Thanks, Kay.