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Four years ago, in the wake of a pandemic that shook every aspect of our lives, we craved one thing above all: connection. We missed gathering for birthdays, worshiping in person, hugging friends, and celebrating life’s little joys together. We mourned the funerals we could only attend through screens, longing for the comfort that only real human presence can bring. We spent months yearning to be “stronger together,” hoping that when things reopened, we’d value each other and the simple act of being able to show up for one another.
Now, here we are in the final quarter of 2024, a year punctuated by one of the most divisive elections in recent memory. Stories are surfacing of families torn apart by political affiliations, old friends blocking each other on social media, and even neighborhoods subtly divided by yard signs and flags. The human connection we once fought so hard to reclaim seems a distant memory, replaced by a widening chasm between us that grows with each political headline and impassioned post.
Looking back to 2020 and 2021, I remember the shock of life slowing to a halt. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the president, warned us that “normal” could take a long time to return, and the thought of spending another year isolated felt unbearable. Yet somehow, through months of Zoom calls, missed celebrations, and empty mall aisles, we began to feel a sense of togetherness—even with strangers. We recognized the small sacrifices people made each day: the grocery clerks, delivery drivers, and medical staff who kept our world running. I recall venturing into a desolate mall for the first time since the shutdowns and feeling a strange nostalgia, realizing how many things I had taken for granted.
I think about the times I got my eyebrows threaded in the mall without ever knowing the name of the woman who carefully shaped them. The pandemic made me more aware of people like her — those who show up daily to meet our needs without fanfare or recognition. For many of us, it was the first time we truly saw the people around us — not just as faces in passing, but as individuals whose lives intersect with ours in countless invisible ways.
But somewhere between then and now, amid the chaos of political “gang-banging” and constant online outrage, we seem to have lost that awareness. The relentless pace of the news cycle and the friction of daily arguments about left versus right have left little room for the compassion we once pledged to keep. Our focus has narrowed back to our own circles, our own frustrations, and a pervasive sense of “us versus them.” Time, as my grandmother used to say, “sholl does bring about a change.” She was right, but I’m not sure we anticipated this kind of change.
So here we are, in the aftermath of a contentious election and six months after what has felt like one of the hardest years in recent memory. How has your perception of the world changed? Have we come out of this chapter as we’d hoped—stronger, kinder, more understanding? Or are we slipping back into old patterns, quicker to judge and slower to forgive?
Four years ago, we longed for connection and promised ourselves we wouldn’t take it for granted again. But now, as divisions deepen and the gap between us seems to widen with each political season, I wonder: will we keep our promise to cherish what truly matters, or have we already let it slip through our fingers?