Happy New Year everyone!! We’ve officially made it through the whole year of 2020. I feel like that was a very difficult level in a video game, but we made it- hello 2021! Here’s to hoping this year makes up for all the shit the last one threw our way. It wasn’t all bad though.. I’d say I learned quite a bit about myself and the world around me.
First being that I have it really fucking good. I think 2020 showed that for a lot of us. You never know how good you’ve got it until it could all be taken away. The beginning of the year was pretty nerve-wrecking. As things began to shut down back in March, we really had no idea what to expect. How serious was this new “Covid” thing? And why was all the toilet paper gone at every single store we went to? I remember going into Target the day the WHO had classified the situation as a pandemic, and everyone had panicked and cleared the shelves. That was an eerie feeling, and definitely a little post-apocalyptic.
But I also learned that, even when things are feeling a bit like doomsday, a lot of beauty can be found as well. Sure, there were people ransacking every store they went into and getting into physical fights over cleaning products, but there were also so many who were coming together to help one another out. I remember finding a girl on Instagram who was collecting things in my area to help those in need. I got as much toilet paper and non-perishable goods as I could find, and dropped them at her doorstep to be delivered. We also bought some items at a Walgreens one day, for a nurse who was checking out ahead of us. It looked like she was about to go in for her shift, and we wanted to do what we could to say thank you and make sure she knew she was appreciated.
I saw SO many posts/videos about people helping others, and I seriously shed a tear about it Every. Damn. Time. I was scared out of my mind, as I know so many of us were, but at the same time I was enamored by the beauty that shined through. In darkness we can find light, and find the light we did. Many of us got to be home with our loved ones for periods of time usually unheard of- and spend true, quality time with them. People online made up dances and recipes and music to entertain us, and we all got to do some extra organizing or binge-watching than we otherwise would have. Dan and I had to postpone our wedding, but that gave us more time to plan and save. We also adopted the cutest little kitten (Sloane) and had so much fun with our new family dynamic. We had a year to relax, recharge, and realize some truths about our lives.
Oddly enough, I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions this time around. I think it’s because the whole year kind of felt like one big resolution after another. I found my voice and overcame a lot of my social anxieties, I started working out more and stopped drinking as much, some friendships that weren’t right for me anymore ended while others became stronger, I became more aware of my own privilege and worked to have tough conversations with others around me, and I was able to let go of my trying to control everything, and just try to enjoy the exact moment we are in- just as it is.
I feel more motivated and energized right now than I have in a really long time. My trajectory has shifted in ways I didn’t expect, and for that I am so grateful. I am grateful to have had so much time to slow down and really think about what I want to do with my life, and the kind of person I want to be. Oh, and I also started waking up earlier. Big win right there! Dan and I are also currently in the midst of Dry January, so I suppose that is a resolution of some sort. Either way, I think the point is that we can become better versions of ourselves whenever we want to. It doesn’t have to take a pandemic or a new year to get us there, but it does seem to help. Even in the midst of what feels like so much turmoil, we can rise to the occasion and find the beauty in it all (and create it ourselves!). 2020, thank you for all of your lessons, but I think we’re all very ready to get back to our new, better version, of normal. I know I am.
What New Years resolutions did you guys make? How do you feel you’ve changed/become a better version of yourself in 2020? Anyone else doing Dry January? Please share your thoughts and stories, I’d love to hear from you!
Wishing you all a very happy, healthy, and mostly pandemic-free (hopefully) 2021!
<3,
Sarah
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: What I Learned During Dry January.