Reflections on 2020

 My One Word for 2020 was "Intentional'.  When life as we know it suddenly came to a screeching halt a few months into the year, I felt that trying to be intentional in the midst of a global pandemic was impossible. How was I supposed to be intentional about things when life was so uncertain and topsy-turvy?

I was wrong. 2020 taught me more about being intentional than I could have imagined when the year began.

It taught me what's really important by making me take a look at what I was able to easily let go of and what was really important to me.  Health.  Family.  Home.  Those are things that this past year taught me to cherish. 

I became intentional about memorizing Bible verses. Somedays those were the words holding me together when I felt the worry, the anxiety, and the panic start to rise.  Days when thinking about all that I was missing out on had me sad and miserable - the Word of God helped me to refocus and think about what is true, lovely, and praise-worthy.

It taught me to be intentional about what I want to read since books had to be placed on hold and picked up curbside at the library.  No longer could I just wander the stacks pulling out whatever caught my eye. 

I learned to embrace delivery services and curbside pickup.  This meant that I had to be intentional as I planned for meals and shopping.  Running down to the local grocery store to grab a few items I wanted or needed was no longer an option.  I had to think about what I wanted to prepare in the days to come.  Plan a complete grocery list and be sure I scheduled a delivery ahead of time so that I would have what I needed when I needed it. 

I had to be intentional with my business as I learned to take supply chain disruptions and shipping delays into consideration.  Especially as the busy Christmas season began, virus cases increased and the postal system became bogged down with shipments.

And toilet paper.  Surely we all learned to be intentional about our TP usage.  Right?

I think we can agree that 2020 was not fun, predictable, or easy.  It was an anxious year.  The Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns, remote learning, unemployment, the elections, and social unrest had many of us feeling stressed to our absolute limits. 

It was a year to let go of expectations, plans, and control to some degree. It was a year when graduations, weddings, and other celebrations were canceled.  Sports seasons were delayed and games canceled.  It was a year of loss.  Hundreds of thousands lost their lives to the pandemic.  We said goodbye to beloved and well-known names. RBG, John Lewis, Chadwick Boseman, Sean Connery, Alex Trebeck, Regis Philbin, and Eddie Van Halen - to name just a few. 

But we also learned how creative we could be as we learned to celebrate in our own ways and make our own fun. We learned to embrace disruptions to our daily schedules and lives and go with the flow.  

We figured out how to work or learn from home.  In the comfort of our pajamas and lounge-wear. 

Some of us learned to bake. Not me - but based on all the sourdough bread I saw showing up on Instagram,  many of you did.

We cheered on our essential workers as they worked long hours to save lives, often without the proper equipment to protect themselves.  We developed a newfound respect for healthcare workers and teachers.

We learned how to use Zoom and Skype.  Not just for work and school - but to stay in touch with friends and family.  

We made ourselves feel as if our lives were a little less crazy by comparing them to the drama lived out by a bunch of tiger owners.  We finally caught up on all those tv shows and movies we've been meaning to watch. We fell even deeper into our infatuation with Baby Yoda.  

It was a tough year.  One we probably wouldn't choose to live through again.  But it also taught us valuable lessons about ourselves.  Our strength.  Our resourcefulness.  Our capacity for kindness.  

Here's hoping for a happy, healthy, peaceful 2021.