Pandemic friendships
What’s on your mind?
Welcome to At The End Of the Day. I’m Hannah Sung and I write this newsletter for a people-first perspective on the news. To support this newsletter, pay-what-you-wish via Patreon.
It’s December and the promise of a few days of rest twinkles in the distance like a row of Christmas lights. I’m tired and I can’t wait to take a break. It feels like déjà vu to be crawling, again, toward the end of the year.
The good news: Our kids have gotten their first Covid vax.
Meanwhile, a few classes at our school have closed due to Covid cases and the case count is ticking up again here in Ontario.1
Around the world, so many people lack access to Covid vaccines.2 (More on that in Further Reading links below).
And of course, there’s a new variant of concern, Omicron (don’t panic, get vaxxed, wear a mask — there is lots yet to learn3 and the things you can do remain the same).
While all of the above is in the mix, the reality of our everyday lives is that the holidays are here and there’s a whole lot of navigating how to gather and celebrate, however quietly and cautiously, with other human beings.
This week, I’m asking:
What are you dealing with at this stage of the pandemic when it comes to friendship?
Send me your question or quandary. I’d love to include it in my next Advice Column. The focus is on socializing and friendships in the pandemic.
You can write to me anytime by replying to this email.
I’ll be back next week to bring you a Q&A with a therapist I love. She has advice on how to handle potentially fraught family get-togethers during this Covid holiday season.
Take care this weekend. Waving from underneath a blanket,
Hannah
✨✨✨ At The End Of the Day is edited by Laura Hensley ✨✨✨
Further Reading and Listening
Interview with nurse Pauline Worsfold on The Current, CBC Radio. “It’s really a sin that companies would withhold vaccines because of patent rules.” Nursing unions in 28 countries are calling on the United Nations to temporarily waive multinational trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights to allow for greater access to vaccines.
Canada should focus on vaccine equity — not travel bans — human rights advocate, doctors say, CBC. “The emergence of omicron shows Canada needs to do more and sooner, said the policy specialist who spoke to CBC. The first thing on the list should be prioritizing sending as many doses to countries with lower vaccination rates as soon as possible, he said.”
And in BTS news 😎😎😎
BTS’ Final Night at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium Shows They Have Nothing to Prove — But Still Work Like They Do, Rolling Stone.
Drawn By BTS, 'ARMY' of Fans Inject Millions of Dollars Into LA Economy, LAist. You didn’t have to tell me that there’s a BTS bump
I watched the live stream of their stadium concert in LA (it was glorious) and after, I posted about it on my personal Instagram.
I wrote that I think BTS fandom is a signal of major change in power dynamics and culture in our world.
I heard back from someone who said they’re not a fan but would love to read more of my thoughts or hear a podcast on the topic.
Would you be interested in that? Let me know.
The Media Girlfriends scholarship
The Media Girlfriends scholarship has kicked off its third fundraising campaign. This scholarship was created to support Canadian students who want to pursue studies in journalism, media, communications and tech, with the goal of increasing diverse perspectives in Canadian media. The scholarship is crowd-funded and to date, we have given $44 000 in scholarships to five students over two years. How amazing is that? We want to do more of that. Click to read more.
Shop with me
— AT THE END OF THE DAY MARKETING —
In my recent Gift Guide, I wrote about Saje essential oils. I like to keep one on my desk and just breeeeathe for a moment.
If you are shopping for Saje and you click through my newsletter, a portion of the sales will go to At The End Of the Day. Click through to shop.
Do you know about joni?
I feel strongly about destigmatizing periods, which are natural and literally life-giving. I also think it’s a shame that many people, right here in Canada, cannot afford period care.
That’s why I was so happy this newsletter can partner with joni. If you want period care delivered to your door (AND to the door of someone else who needs access), check out what joni is all about. I wrote about them here.
The ATEOD15 discount code is available to you through to December 31, 2021.
🔴 GIVEAWAY!
The first three people to reply to this email with “joni” in the subject will get a free package of joni period care in the mail. Must be located in Canada.
Thank you for reading At The End Of the Day! If you want to hear an ATEOD podcast, pay-what-you-wish via Patreon.
Ontario reports more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for 1st time since late May, Global News
Tracking Coronavirus Vaccinations Around the World, The New York Times
What preliminary data might tell us about the Omicron variant’s future in Canada, The Globe and Mail