So Long 2020!

I’ve been debating what to write as a 2020 recap for the last several days. I still haven’t quite figured it out, but as the hours of this strangest of years are (thankfully) ticking by, I decided I should just stop debating and share my somewhat jumbled thoughts. It goes without saying that this is the most bizarre year any of us has ever lived through – and hopefully nothing of this sort will ever be repeated again. But for me, I’ve spent a good part of it trying to focus on all the good that has happened – we are all too well aware of just how shitty it has been overall. I, like millions of Americans, lost my job in March. It was a job I loved with some of the most amazing coworkers and clients! The first few days after receiving my layoff notice went by in a blur of sadness, confusion, and utter devastation. Once I started to pull myself out of the dumps, and figured out how to navigate the puzzle that is filing for unemployment, I began to feel a little better. I decided to enjoy the time with my girls as best we could, assuming things would soon return to normal and I’d be back to work by summer. This is not to say this was a time without stress, worry, and massive amounts of anxiety, because it certainly was not! It was far from all sunshine and rainbows, but it is time spent with my children that I will likely never have again – and for that – losing my job was a bit of a blessing. I tried really hard to see the good in every day with my “Coronacation” posts on my personal Instagram and Facebook. That idea started as a way to remember what we all thought would be a short-lived quarantine. It quickly became a way to annoy my older child – until quarantine got extended and her friends started to anticipate and enjoy my posts (many requested to be “featured” in the posts when we all came out of hiding in June). And so many of you complained when I quit posting daily updates in June when life got a little more “normal”. I started them up again when things got really crazy in November as a way to again focus on the good in our lives – (unless it has to do with a tiny pink hat – that thing needs to be burned).

Clearly things are still far from normal for anyone. But I consider myself so extremely fortunate to be gainfully employed again and working with another group of amazing people. I have, however, felt almost a sense of guilt to be working again when so many people are still out of work. I have done my best to pay it forward whenever I can, and continually remind my children how fortunate we are to have survived this year relatively unscathed. I’ve done some things well this year – other than spending an insane amount of time with my kids and husband – my one crowning achievement is working out. I’ve worked out at least 23 times each month this year – with the exception of January which was 17 times (and we were in Florida for a week). Its helped keep me sane and somewhat focused. I’ve never been big on resolutions, always favoring some sort of self-improvement goals, and after the dumpster fire that has been 2020, my goals for next year aren’t lofty or even super ambitious. I plan to write more, continue to focus on gratitude, to work out as much as possible, and to eat more fruits and veggies. The biggest goal of all though, is to be more careful with our schedule. While we desperately miss hanging out with friends and family, our time is precious and our kiddos are growing up so quickly. I don’t ever want to get back to the complete pre-Covid insanity that allowed for little downtime together, as a family. That’s it. Nothing crazy. I’m just so grateful to have survived this year with most of my sanity in tact and everyone nearest and dear to me are healthy. Some days it really is the littlest things that matter most! Happy New Year – and here’s hoping that when it comes time to ringing in 2022, we are once again celebrating together – in the same room – and by room, I mean an ACTUAL room, not a Zoom room. 😉