2020 has not been great. It’s been hard. It’s been devastating for some. Many of you have suffered loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of education, loss of time with family and friends. In a nutshell, 2020 has been a dumpster fire. There are even ornaments to commemorate it as such. But now that we are closing in on the end of the year, I can reflect on what was good about 2020. I know for some of you, there may not have been any bright moments and I know that we have been very fortunate. I know some of the things that I’m going to reflect on and be grateful for will have you thinking I’m crazy. Some families thrive on busy schedules and multiple activities at once and 2020 has put a halt on that.

2020 has given our family the gift of time. Or I should say it has given me the gift of time because I’m pretty sure my teenage children are not loving all the togetherness as much as I am. 2020 has made us slow down. It’s made us stop and enjoy what we have and who we are stuck/quarantined with. It made us get creative and find joy in simple things like puzzles and drive by birthday parades. 2020 gave us family dinners around the table, evenings sitting in the driveway together and car rides just to get out of the house.

2020 has taught me to be quiet and still and just soak up what I do have. At the same time all the quiet and stillness can often send my mind racing and my anxiety sky-rocketing. In those moments, I’ve realized it’s okay to be worried and scared and not know what the future holds for any of us. I’m leaning into prayer and putting my faith in God and the plan he has for me. So many of us are struggling through this and we need hope for a brighter future.

2020 has taught us that this time we have is fleeting, it goes by in a blink of an eye. Did it take a pandemic to teach us that? Probably not. But it took a pandemic to force us to slow down and realize that it can all be gone in that same blink of an eye. And while we’ve lost so much in 2020, I’m going to spend the rest of the year focusing on what we’ve gained.

In the days to come, know you are all in my prayers. I hope 2020 ends on a positive note for all of you. Tonight I plan to go out and see the Christmas Star and know that there is hope for our future. I pray that we are all blessed with the gift of more time.

Merry Christmas,

Dana