I was reading this the other day,
In any life, too, there is more white than black. Some people are not willing to confess that this is true. They imagine that the evil days are more in number than the good, that there is more cloud than blue sky in their life, that they have more sorrow than joy. But this is never true. There may be days when the darkness swallows up the light — but at evening time it shall be light. Really the list of mercies in any life, if added up through the years, would make a measureless record — while the sad and painful things, if added up, would show an almost inappreciable list.
The trouble with too many people, is that one little spot of darkness grows so in their vision that it hides a whole Heaven full of stars. One sorrow blots out the memory of a thousand joys. One disappointment makes them forget years of fulfilled hopes. Many people have a strangely perverted faculty of exaggerating their molehills of trouble into mountains, and looking at their blessings through diminishing lenses.
It would minister greatly to our gladness if we had a firm faith in the goodness of God’s providence that rules in all the affairs of our life. There is infinitely more mercy than misery in the world, more pleasure than pain, more white than black. Then, even the things that seem adverse, have hidden in them a secret of blessing. In every tear, a rainbow sleeps!
J.R. Miller, 1913
Many have said the past 2 years felt like a blur, and some say it’s wasted (Victoria after all holds the world record of the most lockdown city in the world!).
So I thought, let’s walk down the not too distant memory lane and see the many blessings there were nonetheless 🙃
Celebrations in between lockdowns 🥳🔒🎊🔐🎉⚔
Many things didn’t happen the way people had hoped for (e.g., online weddings, cancelled baby birthdays), but there were quite a few that we got to celebrate too.
Given the situation, it made it more special too when you could do it in between lockdowns, it’s like you won a lotto or something.
One of my visits to celebrate friend’s bday before the 1st hard lockdown 
Christmas season – going to office becomes exciting 
NY morning run – someone tries to make it a tradition, but I’ve got a feeling I’ll only make it this one time 😛 
Friends’ newborn 
Easter weekend – Easter egg hunt at my church .. 
.. my friends n their kids aft the hunt 
Sis’ bday 
Surprise party 👻, a reason to gather 
A friend’s bday celebration, at a restaurant sadly affected by covid (used to thrive)
Kindnesses received 💕
Some kind gestures received both because and regardless of Covid.
One of the kindnesses at my door during 1st hard lockdown 
Rice dumplings 🍡 – hand made and delivered to my home, I’ll take it anytime my friend 😄 
Lunar New Year feast with a family 🤗, while we’re away fr our family 
Surprise for my bday, 
at the BEST sizzling tofu place 🍮 😍 
I was told the long and hard story.. 
of finding the right cake for me, 
yes I’m picky sorry 😹 
Dinner delivered for me while on tech duty for our online church camp 😀
Learning new skills 🔧
Lockdown or not, things continue to break.
The number of things that could go wrong, if you don’t count them you don’t realise!
Plumber warned me it’s going to burst one day if I don’t replace these rusty pipes, so I did it myself 🔧 
Very happy assembling the sturdy tall coat hanger (a gift) in replacing the mini broken one 
Light bulb exploded one fine day, gotta dig it out 
Tyre went flat one aftnoon while driving and a kind friend came to change it (and trained me how to do it! 😊) 
Laptop went dead, almost panicked that I lost my hours of unsaved work, so I dismantled to figure and tada, it actually fixed itself, phew.. 😬 
Neighbour told me a dead rat had been laying under my car for weeks, before troubling a friend who would come to trash it for me, I got out any courage I had to pick da dead rat myself! eek 🐀🤮
Interesting memories to remember
Some things won’t happen hadn’t it been for covid and all the restrictions that come with it.
Some will happen regardless of Covid.
But I guess they all make good stories to tell for years to come.
When we’re finally allowed to church (but only outdoor and limited), and so we met.. 
hail or shine! 🌧 
Short period of returning back to office – 1st time tuning in to Dept meeting at a cafe 
The things I kept doing to this phone.. 😅 
Moon eclipse to remember (taken by a friend) 
Due to covid restriction, we could only enjoy our friend’s bday cake in my car outside her home 🙄 
⛺ Doing online church camp with my single bubble, while drinking bubble tea 
Finally back to some running routine w friends (aft long encouragement and convincing fr some) 🏃 
Aft awhile, took it to the nxt step I started going to the beach to run by myself (n had some beneficial quiet time)
Good food, good mood
Good food does cheer the mood!
Especially with great companies 😃
Another introduction to new yummy restaurant – thanks my friend, 
no kidding 😱😍 
Always up for Maccas time hahahh 
Farewelling our dear sister and friend 
Aft 3 mths lockdown, finally get to visit cousin’s, 
long awaited dinner that took my cousin all day to prepare.. 
she cooked to my order – nasi lemak! What a lovely n great cook cousin I have 😁
Best of times – the fondest memories
Many things to be thankful for, and there are some that have special place in my heart.
Christmas get-together 
During period of little restrictions, had a gd break w great company.. 
.. away fr Melb, 
where I had fun learning to bleach my hair, 😄 
came bk home w sunburnt scalp, face, body even lips! 😥 (but w lots of fun n fond memories!) 
Easter get-together 
Thankful night with great company of friends 
One of many weeks of empty church n only 5 of us to broadcast, but it became the morning I looked fwd to every week – to be able to meet a few others n outside my 5km radius (during 12-wk lockdown #6) 
What refreshments aft run – Thank you 😊 
Welcome my friend! (fr interstate n way back)
Not too bad everything considered? Not bad at all, I’ll say 🙂
Go on counting your blessings..