By Nalini Joseph

Many of us are at our worst when times are chaotic and uncertain.

How did you fare on the “Greatness Richter Scale” of 2020? What about your personality, actions or attitude shone through the darkness in the year 2020?  What feats did you perform? What barriers did you overcome? Every human being, regardless of race or religion, wishes to have a life that matters. What did you accomplish this year to make your life matter?

We all want to leave this world knowing that we had an impact on someone — that we influenced another human being in some positive way.

Last week, I wrote a little about how crucial wisdom is in leading a successful life and how to make use of our elders in order to gain more wisdom. I must point out that there is an entire book in the Catholic Bible called the Book of Wisdom. Scriptures from every religion — the Bible, the Upanishads, the Torah — teach us about wisdom and discernment.

Our elders are wise because of the crosses they have had to bear, the many mistakes they have made and the faults they recognize within themselves and in their children and grandchildren.

What wisdom will you impart upon those over whom you have influence? What will you tell your children and grandchildren about the COVID-19 pandemic in the years and decades to come? What great stories will you share about yourself, your relationships, your hardships, your losses and your gains?

Greatness begins in your mind and soul and then permeates into an actionable life. Take a few minutes to write down what made this year a great year for you — not “great” as in “really good” “fantastic” or “wonderful” but “great” as in what made you a wiser person this year. What made you stronger or more elastic? What lessons did you learn that you want to pass along to those you love? What did we, as individuals and as a society, learn about government and politics, about the election of 2020 and about sickness and health?

Someday, like the Great Depression or the world wars, the pandemic of 2020-2021 will be a memory. If you are blessed to live many years into the future, what will your story of the COVID-19 global pandemic be?

If you neglect to write down your many emotions and accomplishments of this year, you may not remember all the important details that you need to have etched in your memory that must be passed along to our future generations.

Joseph is a resident of Salisbury. She is the proud mother of 10-year honor-roll student, Rohan Joseph, who serves his community as president of COVID Busters. Email her at nalinijones1@hotmail.com.