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.
On October 9, 2019, I wrote a blog post titled 235 Days. In a nutshell, it was about the count down to my oldest son’s graduation day. Today is the 235th day. Today my son ends one journey and embarks on a new one.
Two hundred thirty-five days ago, we had a vision of what senior year would be like. First, there were the college visits and eagerly awaiting for the acceptance letters to come in the mail. The new year arrived, and 2020 was full of excitement and promise. Robbie applied and was accepted to all six schools. He narrowed it down to three and was looking forward to the accepted student days at each one. Winter was winding down, and there were two months of school left. There were so many things to look forward to, prom, senior skip day, the final bell, and all the senior events leading up to the big one, graduation.
Little did we know that with 80 days left until graduation, March 12, 2020, would be the last day Robbie would step into the high school. The place he had called home for four years would be no more. Sure, like everyone else, we thought this would blow over. The school was closed for deep cleaning. Surely we would be back to business as usual soon enough. The kids were told this was NOT a vacation. This was not the time to hang with friends. They were to stay home and socially distance themselves. If they did, they would go back to school. Okay, breathe, we got this.
However, our numbers began to climb and to be safe, the superintendent shut down the school until April. E-learning was put into place, and the kids were now learning from home. It was a whole new world for all of us.
It was at this point; I began to get nervous. The accepted student days were canceled and held virtually. College students were being sent home for the remainder of the semester. Massachusetts cases of COVID-19 were climbing at an alarming rate. We were predicted to go through a surge sometime in late April. Late April?? The kids were supposed to go back to school. It was then I started to see my son’s senior year disappear before my eyes. Sure enough, the Governor put a stay at home order in place until May 4th. May 4th??? The seniors finish classes mid-May! It was not looking promising. By April 22nd, 2020, it was a done deal.
Norwood Public School Buildings Closed For the Rest of the 2019-2020 Academic School Year
Per the order of Governor Charlie Baker, all Massachusetts schools will be closed for the rest of the academic school year. Remote learning will continue in the Norwood Public Schools.
All that he had and let’s face it, I had been looking forward to, was gone. There would be no prom, senior skip day, elementary school walk, or senior breakfast. They would not hear the final bell in the school that they loved. It was heartbreaking. Though, it turns out it was more heartbreaking for me than him.
No sooner was it announced that senior events canceled, our town kicked it into high gear. First, the wonderful staff at the high school delivered lawn signs. A Facebook page was created called Adopt a Norwood Senior. Families adopted other kids and spent the month delivering gifts to their homes. Their senior photos were featured on a jumbotron and shown for the world to see. Finally, graduation day arrived, and it was better than we could have imagined. We had a police escort to the high school where every teacher lined up to wave and say goodbye. There were decorations all around the school. Each student was announced, received their diploma, and took their photo in front of the “school on the hill.” It was a fantastic day.
Though all of these things mentioned above contributed to a beautiful day, what really made it special was my son.
Since day one of this pandemic, he never complained about what he was missing out on. Sure, he would have loved to skip the school work, but he knew it had to be done. He works part-time at a supermarket, and as his mother, I was not thrilled he was spending 20-30 hours a week there. He took his job as an essential worker seriously and went to work each day.
Do you think deciding which college to attend is easy on a good day? How about trying to decide which college to attend during a pandemic, where all accepted student days were virtual. Yet, that did not stop him. He weighed his options, had some good discussions, and made his choice. We could not be happier.
As I sit here thinking about the last couple of months, I am no longer dwelling on what he lost, but what he has reminded me. Life moves on. We need to roll with the punches and make the most of a crappy situation. Do our part to make this a better place. Our country is in turmoil, and these young adults are our future.
Though I may not be quite ready to share him with the world, in a few short months it will be time. Until then, I plan on enjoying every last moment with him.
