Ending the year 2022 with a sense of gratitude

Don’t many of us feel that one of their friends, their neighbors or one of their siblings has a good life? Each one of us, at some point of our life must feel that, right?

What it means by “having a good life”? An easy life? Not sure. A no-problem life…hmmm. That’s imaginary, the wise say. So probably it just means that we choose to focus on the good in our lives.

Being happy for me starts by counting our blessings. And being grateful.

Gratitude is first of all a feeling, right? So, how to express it in words?

I remember my wise dad telling us frequently “It’s easy to find reasons to be unhappy in life. But it’s important to find reasons to be happy”.

In Pic: LocalHood Thanksgiving 2019

American or not, upcoming thanksgiving might be an excuse to reflect on gratitude.

After 3 years of covid misery…difficult to be thankful! So many friends and family have left Hong Kong desperate to have a normal life, the “social distancing limitations” that many think unnecessary, the mask wearing that I’ve come to loathe after 3 summers. And many more…

In pic: HK Airport is back in business

But come to think of it, aren’t we happy that it is all getting finally better in Hong Kong and that there is no hotel Quarantine?? Feels unreal in so many ways! We are free to whizz to foreign lands, meet with family we haven’t seen since so many years, vacation freely, to go on biz trips. All this without having to think about the headache heading back to Hong Kong entails, the RT-PCR test not done on time, flights cancelled for HK cause of covid cases in the flight, Quarantine hotel issues galore.

Finally, the schools, museums and extra-curricular activity centers are in business. Parks are open. Kids are free to mingle with each other play in the open and live normal “children” lives instead of remaining cooped up at home, watching the screen and feeling miserable.

There are also some positive aspects that have come thanks to Covid. Now, I’m not saying let’s thank Covid-19 virus directly, not in the least. However, its thanks to covid that even now post-covid many corporates continue to allow their employees to work from home certain days and zoom meetings have become an acceptable option to face to face meetings. So much more convenient!!

In Pic: Rugby 7s 2022/Credits: SCMP

On the Events and Festivals side, many are finally back this year allowing HK to once again welcome and mingle with the world. One of the major sports events Rugby7s, cancelled for 2 years due to the pandemic, finally took place with all the pomp and vibrance that our city so needs!

Was so great to see Hong Kongers and tourists alike, sitting together cheering and enjoying this sporting event. Heard John Lee was there too, his sleeves all folded up and without a mask 😱 cheering away at Rugby7s. Seeing the Boss mingling with the crowd sent a message to the world that Covid restrictions were soon going to be a thing of the past…even in Hong Kong.

Also, its autumn, the best period of the year with so many religious festivals and other celebrations, culminating in with X-mas and New year. The time to discover Hong Kong, exercising, biking and hiking without sweating as soon as you step out of your house! Phew so happy to loose the humidity and feel light, at least for the next few months.

So, as I write this article sitting on my desk on this fine sunny November morning, I feel positive, thankful, blessed for the big and small things in my personal life, for Hong Kong but also beyond. And this song comes to my mind “Count your blessing…name them one by one, and it’ll surprise you what the lord has done 😀”.