But I find it does me little good to dwell on the negative aspects of the Year From Hell. So, in the interest of staying positive and finding some Christmas spirit, I’m focusing on the good things that happened to me in 2020.
The major bright spot for me was my daughter’s wedding. I’m not going to lie; the lead up to the wedding was very stressful. Given all the restrictions and the risk of illness, I wondered if the wedding would even go ahead. But both families came together to make it happen for our children, even when we had to give up a reception in a fancy hotel and have it outdoors in a tent. In the end, it was a beautiful wedding on a beautiful day.
This year the same daughter completed her training and is now a fully qualified nurse practitioner. She took classes and did practicums for three years while still working part-time as an RN. Not to mention planning a wedding. She deserves a whole lot of credit for her perseverance and we celebrate her accomplishment.
Another bright spot for me this year has been that our older daughter has been living with us during the pandemic. She used to live in another province and we didn’t get to see her often even in the best of times. Having her move home has been a blessing.
I wanted to know about bright spots in other people’s lives so asked my Facebook friends a question: What was the best thing that happened to you in 2020?
I felt guilty even asking that question. So many people have lost so much this year. How could there possibly be anything good to talk about?
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| "We Will Bee Okay" - This message has been on a fence in my neighborhood since spring. |
I needn’t have worried. People were happy to tell me about their good news for 2020. Here are some of my findings:
- Some people’s reasons for celebration were very basic. They were thankful to have jobs through the pandemic and they were grateful they hadn’t become ill. Or, if they or someone in their family had contracted Covid, they were grateful for recovering.
- One of my Facebook friends earned her Masters degree. My cousin’s daughter became a Registered Nurse this year. Congratulations!
- A shift in thinking occurred for some. One of my friends talked about learning to accept her imperfections. Another mentioned having more gratitude, more self-awareness and a greater feeling of love for her community and family.
- We’ve all heard of people taking up old hobbies or beginning new hobbies during the pandemic. A friend reported that after twenty years she has started playing the piano again. Good for you!
- Several people experienced milestones in 2020 such as retirement, the birth of a grandchild or a first birthday of a grandchild. One friend is getting married on December 31. Congratulations!
- Getting a new pet is always a cause for celebration, and one of my friends got a new kitten.
- A couple of friends reported being thankful for the technology that let’s them keep in touch with children who live far away. If they weren’t able to see them in person, Zoom and Facetime became the next best thing.
- Speaking of connecting, a friend told me she reconnected with former sorority sisters that she hadn’t seen in years. They’re all interesting, wonderful people and they plan to stay in touch.
- My brother and sister-in-law completed renovations on their house and grew a fantastic humongous garden (they always do) this summer. They then spent the fall canning and pickling the bounty from their garden. They’ll give most of it away and I hope to get some of my sister-in-law’s excellent pickles next year when we get a chance to travel to see them.
- Another took advantage of low interest rates to pay down debt. You go girl!
- Some friends talked about travel. Pre-Covid, one friend was able to fulfill her child’s dream to swim with manatees. Another went camping. Former Word Wrangler Ava Cuvay went to Disney World and didn’t have to wait in line for anything!
- My cousin reported that working from home agreed with her. But her very best thing of the year was having all her kids and grandkids stay with her during the early part of the pandemic. It was a big blessing for her.
- For the writers in the group, including me, our best thing of the year was having a book published in 2020. One won a prestigious award for her writing. Yay! One friend has been extremely busy through the pandemic. He published a children’s book and started a You Tube channel on which he reads children’s books and poetry. Oh, and he and his wife play pool every day now on the pool table they haven’t used for dozens of years!
- Speaking of publishing, our own Margie Senechel reports her best thing of 2020 was being published in the Once Upon a Bookclub’s Advent Box. Congratulations Margie!
- Once in a while something we believe is the worst thing that could happen turns into the best thing. That was the case for one friend. Her landlord didn’t renew her lease because she wanted to sell the house. That was scary. But when she found a better house in a better location, having to move turned out to be the best thing of her year!
I’m glad I asked the question. It was wonderful to talk about something fun and positive, and I hope it made others happy as well.
So dear readers, what is the best thing that happened to you in 2020? I’d love to hear your answers.
I love the post, Jana. There HAVE been positives this year, haven't there--they're just kind of buried sometimes. I have a new book out that I'm excited about, but probably my best thing is healthy family. My daughter and grandson who had Covid have regained their health; most jobs are intact; and the sun's still rising each morning! Thanks for the cheerer-upper!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Liz! I needed the cheerer-upper for myself, too. I'm so glad your daughter and grandson recovered well.
DeleteThanks for all the positives from 2020, Jana! I finished book 4 in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series and it came out in July. I finished the first book in the new River's Edge series and it is currently with my editor. I have work. DIL got a part-time job doing what she loves--working in the arts. Grandboy is doing well in virtual school. Son has not had to travel for his job--it's all happening from home. We've managed to keep our little pod of seven together even though it means tough restrictions for all of us, but it's so worth it to be able to spend time with our family. Thanks for the reminder to see the good.
ReplyDeleteThere are good things that happened to us in 2020, but like Liz said, they got buried. I'm grateful no one in my family has become ill and that financially we're all okay. These days that means a lot!
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