2020-Oh My, What a Year!

There is just a week left to 2020. A year that had so much promise but left a lot to be desired. I remember writing out my goals for the year, thinking about my son’s high school graduation, vacations, family celebrations, college acceptances, road races, and more. Three months in, that all went up in smoke. What started as “two weeks home to flatten the curve” is still going on, nine months later.

It has been challenging. Life as we know it changed. Life became scary for the time being. We knew nothing about the virus. People were and are again dying at an alarming rate. Schools shut down. Life’s celebrations were put on hold. Travel stopped. Masks became the “norm.” Our nation has become more divided, and honestly, my faith in my fellow Americans has been lost a bit.

Before I go on, I would like to say this post is NOT to minimize the hardships others have faced this year. My heart goes out to those suffering from this illness, who had lost a loved one and have suffered financially this year. I pray 2021 brings peace to all.

However, as I sit here and reflect on 2020, it wasn’t all bad for me. Through the tears and frustrations, there have been positives to come out of 2020.

2020 Positive Moments

First and foremost, my family is HEALTHY! This includes our extended family and the four of us. That has and will continue to be our priority. My Dad is immunocompromised, and we all work hard to make sure he stays safe.

My Dad hit his 10 year cancer free anniversary!

Bill and I are gainfully employed and have continued to work through the pandemic. We are also in a position where we could give a bit more to those in need, and we have this year.

I had a birthday parade at age 48. LOL! Yes, this was a highlight of my year. My crazy family came by with balloons, a sign, my Dad on his golf cart, and a special visitor.

Our son graduated high school in May. It was not the graduation I envisioned, but it was perfect. The school went out of its way to make it special for the seniors. He loved it because there were no boring speeches for him to sit through. We were also able to celebrate with those in our bubble.

Spending more time as a family has had its ups and downs. As a busy family, we are not used to being together 24/7 on the weekends. I am happy to report, we did not kill each other!

We took a vacation with our extended family, something we typically do not do. It was a great couple of weeks.

We spent more time outside hiking and exploring our own state. Who knew Massachusetts had so many state parks and wildlife refuges.

Though extremely disappointed that our son cannot spend his freshman year of college on campus, I am enjoying the extra time with him. The first 19 years of his life have gone so fast. I blinked, and he is all grown up. However, I have him home for another 9 months, and that makes this mama happy.

Our youngest has continued with karate despite the pandemic and one step closer to becoming a black belt.

2020 Discoveries

I have discovered the ease of grocery delivery. I may never grocery shop in person again.

I discovered I missed working in an office. I miss my people. However, I have finally adjusted to working from home and believe I have finally nailed down time management when it comes to work, getting things done, and stopping when it is time to stop.

I hate cooking, but it has been tolerable with meals from meal delivery kits like Hello Fresh and Gobble.

Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney + and more. LOL!

I still take as many photos regardless of what is happening in the world!

2020 Pluses

I had more time to scrapbook.

I read 50 books.

I found some great self-care and personal development podcasts.

I learned Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Ringtone.

My social media for my blog has grown.

I have made some great new friends.

Oh, and the biggest plus of 2020, I never ran out of toilet paper!!!

Now, what about you? What positives have come out of 2020 for you and your family? Remember, no matter what is going on in our lives, there is always something to be thankful for.