It would be quite a shame to have gone through everything that 2020 has piled on our plates without learning a few lessons along the way. I've learned some things about things about myself, about others, about life, and about the world at large. Here are just a few:
1) Plans are ALWAYS tentative
Maybe you're familiar with the Yiddish Proverb "We plan, God laughs". In my opinion, that may be the Number One lesson we should take away from this year. It certainly is for me.
I recall sitting in a restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee eating brunch with the Man of the House. We were making plans to start taking more road trips. Nothing too far away. Destinations a few hours drive from our home where we could take a long weekend away once a month or at least every other month.
This was in late February. Just as Covid was about to really take things up a notch here in the United States. Needless to say - those plans didn't last very long since shortly after that trip to Memphis, the whole quarantine/self isolation portion of our year began.
Last year, we had also decided that we were going to set a goal to attend a football game at quieteevery NFL stadium over the next several years. This year we intended to visit the stadiums in New Orleans and either Atlanta or Nashville. Nope.
2020 keeps reminding me of Proverbs 19:21.
Picture Credit: YouVersion Bible App
2) I am much more of a stress eater than I would have thought.
It's true. I pretty much covered all my stress and anxiety about coronavirus under a thick layer of junk food for much of the Spring and Summer. Because... comfort food. Am I right? I'm sorry to say that this has resulted in regaining much of the weight that I took off last year. BOO!
3) I am more of a home-body than I realized.
I knew I didn't mind being at home for days on end. But the more comfortable I have become with delivery services and curbside pick-up, the less I feel like I need to go into an actual store to interact with actual people.
I'm not saying that's a good thing. It just is what it is.
I'm not totally a hermit yet. About once a month I do get anxious to get out. That's when I mask up and head to Home Depot or something with the Man of the House.
4) I'm not great about the whole "self-care" thing when I know I'm not going to be around people.
I probably shouldn't mention how infrequently I have showered on more weeks than I care to admit. The good news is that unless I have been working outside in the heat or something else sweat producing - I've learned that I can actually go a few days without bathing before I start to stink. But when the odor starts, it hits fast and hard. Sorry, that might have been TMI.
I haven't been deep conditioning my hair weekly as I did pre-pandemic. Or doing regular exfoliating and face masks. And even though I give myself pedicures even when salons are open, I let that go for far, FAR too long over the summer. It's not like I was going to be out showing off my toes in some cute sandals or anything
I'm trying to get myself back in the habit of having one self-care day a week.
5) Many more people are willing to take a risk with their health, and/or don't care about the well-being of others than I would have hoped was true.
Honestly, I could go on for a good long time about this. But for the sake of not opening a big ol' can of worms - I'll just leave it there. You know what I'm talking about. 'Nuf said.
What are the lessons that 2020 has been teaching you?
