Flexibility in 2022

Although we are all ready to move on from COVID, we continue to have reminders (Delta and Omicron) that COVID is not quite gone, and that we are likely going to have to live with it for some time to come. How do we do that as we begin this new year? I think that a good place to start is with flexibility, and maybe a little faith that the worst of this is over.

To me, flexibility means being able to let go of expectations that everything has to go exactly according to plan, and to let ourselves enjoy and appreciate what we still can do, even if it is not what we expected.

Just think back to early on in the pandemic when we first starting wearing masks. It was hard to imagine that we could get used to them, and now they are just part of our daily uniform here at Handmaker. Residents and staff wear them whenever they leave their apartment or office. We may not like it, and would prefer not to, but we are used to it and just do it so that we can spend time together relatively safely.  We have adapted to this new norm. Hopefully one day masks won’t be necessary at Handmaker and elsewhere, but for now we wear them. Being flexible is key to being able to live with things as they are.

Shabbat services on Zoom may not have the same feel as those held in person, but it is preferable to see everyone's faces on the screen instead of not at all. We still do meet in person at Handmaker most Shabbat mornings, but when someone is under the weather, or there is an uptick of COVID in the community, it is nice to have the flexibility to be able to meet safely, virtually.

Virtual Torah study class would not have seemed so appealing a few years ago, but it has been wonderful option these days for those interested residents who are willing and able to give it a try. We can still connect to and learn from one another, even if we are not in the same physical room.

Visiting face to face with family is ideal, but for those who are avoiding travel these days, virtual calls can be more satisfying than anyone ever thought. We cannot hug through FaceTime, but smiles can be seen fairly well on the screens, and can bring almost as much joy as they do in person.

It is important to celebrate when we can. Our activity department had planned a fun New Year’s Eve program for residents with live Klezmer music performed by the group Klezmerkaba, and refreshments to toast the New Year. After some concern about this gathering at a time when there was increase in COVID in the community, we decided to eliminate the refreshments during the program so that everyone would keep their masks on, and instead wrapped up the beautiful cake pops to-go. Everyone was initially disappointed, but due to their heightened ability to be flexible, and love of live music, the New Year’s Eve show was still great fun!

Recently, a congregant from the Chesed (loving kindness) group at Congregation Bet Shalom reached out to me asking to set up a program with Handmaker residents who might be feeling isolated during this time. We thought about how to plan this program, being mindful of COVID, and decided to try a “Virtual Tea Party” on Zoom. I admit that I had reservations. Residents do well connecting to family and friends virtually, but I was really not sure how well they would connect to a group of strangers. I tried to be open-minded and flexible and encouraged the residents who I invited to participate to do the same. Our first meeting was a great success! Of course, meeting in person would have been ideal, but our ability to be flexible in our thinking opened us all up to this slightly imperfect meeting that was a wonderful way to connect. And the Tea Party participants are all looking forward to our next meeting.

Clearly we have dealt with much pain and difficulty over these last two years, but we have learned, adjusted and persevered. Our ability to be open-minded and flexible can serve us well as we continue to manage life with COVID in our world. And hopefully we can maintain our faith that things are continuing to improve, and that there is much to enjoy in this somewhat imperfect but still amazing world.