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Wins & Losses: A Look Back on 2020

Friday, January 1, 2021


Hello, my friends! Breaking my blogging silence as I feel like crossing from 2020 into 2021 is too big a milestone to sit on the sidelines for. How was your holiday? I hope that despite the different circumstances this year, it was still special in its own way. Ours was so much quieter than usual, but still sweet -- lots of Christmas light-looking drives complete with hot chocolate sloshing around, Christmas morning with wrapping paper flying all over the place, plenty of bounce house jumping, and slow and lazy home cooking. 

So here we are! We made it to 2021. It feels sort of like crossing a finish line, right? It was such a strange thing this year, not wanting to rush time or wish it away (especially with little kids who are growing at an unacceptably fast rate!), and yet looking forward to so much in future days. Speaking of looking forward -- how do you like the new LL logo (above)? I'm excited about it and what's to come for The Lucky Lifestyle!

What a year it was. One unlike any other in most of our lifetimes. I remember right before everything shut down in March when the pandemic was more of a murmur than a shout, I called my oldest daughter out of school and took my three little girlfriends down to the beach for the day. It was completely on a whim, but looking back now it seems like it fit into the puzzle of the year perfectly. For that one day, we drove and played on the freezing cold beach and ate gas station food for dinner (I sort of cringe looking back on all of us huddled into the Wawa restroom touching all of the surfaces haha), and laughed and celebrated doing whatever we wanted on a random weekday. Little did we know that shortly after that trip we'd be homebound for a quite a while, so yes... that's a special memory.

I wanted to share my highs and lows from 2020 here in this space, and would love for you to share yours too. What were your favorite moments of 2020? What were your hardest moments? What lessons did the year teach you? What are your hopes for 2021?

I thought for sure the losses of this year would outweigh the wins, but when I put pen to paper (I always jot down a little written recap of our year, and goals for the next year)... there was still so much joy to be found. It's important to acknowledge that I know that this was the most challenging and down right saddest year for many I know and love, and for so many others I don't know personally. My heart aches for those whose lives have been truly turned upside down by this pandemic and all of its ripple effects, and I have and will continue to look for ways to lend a hand (or an ear) however I can.

As far as our year, our challenges included:

-The loss of an immediate family member and the associated pain of those we love

-The loss of our sweet pup, Layla

-The loneliness of missing being together with our family and friends

-The resentment over missing out on moments and memories to be made with them

-Navigating parenting three littles in a pandemic and worry for them (their health, their mental wellness, their education, their sense of "normalcy")

-The lack of balance in our personal/professional/parenting lives as we attempted to juggle and take on all of the things with no relief

And this year's bright spots included:

-Rescuing our new pup, Max, who has brought fun, mischief, and companionship (plus lots and lots of walks -- good for the body and soul!)

-Helping others how we could (volunteering, helping job seekers in our community build and proofread their resumes, donating to support Black businesses, giving our items to those in need, supporting our friends and neighbors through small gestures and smiles)

-More precious time with our growing babies

-With the break from activities, preschool, and our usual trips, we were able to save money

-Completing two home updates that have been on our list (kitchen and powder bath)

-Trying new things: from books we've been wanting to read, to shows we've been wanting to watch, to lots of new recipes, virtual workout classes (barre! HIIT!), local restaurants, and more

-A shift in my career which has brought a renewed sense of enthusiasm, and also peace

-Good health (so very thankful)

I hope, too, that we have grown our perseverance and resilience during this crazy year. Maybe it's too soon to recognize it, but I know it's there for all of us. There was a lot to be disappointed about, but reflecting on what we gained and learned and embraced and accepted and fought for are so important for moving forward -- the only directly we can and should move.

Hope you woke up this morning feeling peaceful and inspired. Happy, happy New Year!

2 comments:

  1. Adore everything that you gained this year! I think back to the start last march and i actually took the train home from work...no mask LIKE WHAT?! It's crazy to think about!

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    Replies
    1. Omg, yes! It's so true! I think about stuff like that all the time. Will we ever think of things the same way again?!

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