#FrontlineLove, #FrontlineHeroes, #InThisTogether, #COVIDHeroes, #醫護人員辛苦了.
This CAS activity (service) was special for me because it was a new experience. When I was little, my mother took me to a hotel, with a giant Christmas tree set up in the lobby. The branches were decorated not only with lights, but there were also cards covered in colorful envelopes. My mother has been donating money and resources to orphanages and organizations associated with children with disabilities. The children wrote back cards to her, hung on the Christmas tree. I was touched by reading their cards. Although I have never seen them in person. I could feel the warmth and their appreciation from their words and cute doodles. Since then, I have become more grateful for the resources that I have now. I also wrote a few cards replying to them.
In the past few weeks, the pandemic has become more serious in Kaohsiung due to the harbor case. As the number of confirmed cases increased, people in the neighborhood started to get more anxious. I see numerous comments on social media and online news platforms were complaining about how the vaccination system is slow, the government is not hard-working enough, or the frontline workers are impatient and careless. As a student, I found these comments very discouraging. Especially, as we’re approaching the Chinese New Year Holiday, I appreciate the people who still work to maintain the number of cases and monitor the administration, so we can go through break safely. I wanted to show my appreciation and respect towards them, and my mother’s story reminded me of what I can do as an individual.
One of my mother’s friends happens to be a nurse in the hospital, helping out daily vaccination and taking care of patients. It sparked my idea to write a thank-you card to express my appreciation and respect towards them. I also bought a case of strawberries for her as she can share with her colleagues. Strawberry in Taiwan is considered an expensive fruit, and it is only sold during the winter.
I stayed at home mostly during the break due to safety considerations by my parents. Therefore, my mom who worked in the hospital gave it to her for me. When she came back, the frontline worker sent me a message saying thank you. I felt special because of this relationship. Despite that, we don’t know each other, but I found the warmth and positivity very encouraging. From this experience, I learned how to not be afraid to spread my gratitude. Sometimes we might think it is not as comfortable to step out and write cards for a stranger, but I found how showing appreciation to others like this was a wonderful experience.