As I look back, I am thankful to be able to sit at my computer and write this blog especially after a year when too many of my friends and family did not survive.
By Marya Shegog, PhD, MPH, CHES: Health Equity and Diversity Coordinator, Lazarex Cancer Foundation
Numerologically, 2021 is a number 5 year which means it came with the energy of instability and change; boundaries were pushed and I received a lot of unexpected opportunities, some awesome and some challenging. As I look back, I am thankful to be able to sit at my computer and write this blog especially after a year when too many of my friends and family did not survive.
Most of all I am thankful that:
- I started a new job, here at Lazarex Cancer Foundation, where I finally understand the notion of “doing something you love makes it seem like you never go to work.” I cannot say that I have figured out work life balance, but I certainly do not feel the toxicity I have experienced in other positions in my life. I am thankful for that.
- I received 3 vaccination shots and, for the first time in over a decade, a flu shot as well. I had the opportunity to experience some of the challenges associated with attaining health insurance and using it in a medically underserved area.
- I went to Greece and learned to love olives. I went to the Acropolis, had 7-course meal 30 feet in the air, spent time on a yacht in the middle of the Aegean Sea, ate more Greek salads than you can imagine, and enjoyed many Greek wines and drinks. I had fun.
- I took on my first major home improvement and will enjoy the benefits of being able to swim and relax at home safely.
- I didn’t get the opportunity to spend as much time with my family and friends as I did pre-Covid, but I did have a few good moments with each of my siblings, my mother, and a few cousins and friends. I look forward to seeing more family and friends in 2022.
- Most of all I am thankful that I get the opportunity to, in the words of my grandmother, “Keep on, Keeping on.”
Dr. Marya Shegog’s bio can be found here.
