#2489 last post of the year

Well here we are, New Years Eve eve. To say it has been a crazy year is something everybody says, but it has been unprecedented, hasn’t it? Over here in Salt Lake, we had a pretty good-sized earthquake in March followed by hurricane force winds in September that uprooted trees and knocked over semi-trucks on the freeways. There were plenty of wildfires all around. I don’t remember any flooding here, but it could have happened and I just blocked it out. I know the hurricane season in the southeast was robust and long. And that was all just nature.

There was social unrest in the United States on a scale that hasn’t been seen maybe ever. The country has been divided over politics and social issues. The presidential campaign, the vote, and the eventual results felt like it lasted forever. 

On top of all of that, the global pandemic ruled. The corona virus hasn’t given up, despite efforts to contain, control, and overcome. Vaccines are being administered now, but people keep getting sick and dying. The fatigue and the feeling of being numb to the crisis also keeps growing. I do see people wearing masks when I go to the stores, but I’ve also heard of people going to restaurants and gathering with family and traveling.  I’m not there yet. I’d like to do all of those things, but I’m not. Maybe I’m a scaredy-cat. Or maybe, as Susannah Conway has said,  “...I’m okay with protecting my health, and the health of people around me, by staying close to home. Not paranoid, just mindful of possible outcomes.” I feel like I will know when the time is right for me to venture outside of my bubble. 

There have been plenty of things in 2020 that are bummers. My sweet Osi died. My son had some problems. Stuff happened at work that made me question my career and future there. I could list a bunch of things that I missed being able to do, but what’s the point? We all missed stuff we like to do. 

There were some bright sides to 2020 too, believe it or not. I started talking to a therapist who has really helped me this year. I began meditating regularly. We got a new puppy and she forces me to get off my butt and take regular walks. I didn’t gain weight through the quarantine time; I’ve managed to pretty much maintain or lose a little (that is, until last week when I ate with Christmas abandon). I got a lot of pleasure from sitting out on the back deck and watching the birds fly around the yard - even some hummingbirds! I read a lot of books. I realized that being at home is good. I loved the slower pace of my days. 

I’m hopeful that in 2021 some of the things that we all love will be possible again. I don’t know that we will ever get back to the way things were before. We’ll probably be wearing masks for awhile still, and that’s okay. Just think about how fun it will be to do stuff again!

Until then, stay safe. Enjoy your new year celebration, hopefully with people in your home. Keep washing your hands. Keep wearing your masks. Keep being kind to yourself and other people you meet. I’ll check in with y’all on Friday.