What a year! In January our President was in the midst of being impeached. In March....March 13 to be exact, our entire country shut down for what we thought would be 2-3 weeks, max. Nine months later we as Illinoisan's are still under lock down orders. Some children haven't been in a classroom since they walked out of one on March 13. Some kids haven't played sports since their spring or summer season ended. Seniors- mine included - didn't get a graduation ceremony. Masks are now the norm. Vacations were cancelled. Family events were put on hold. Small businesses have been struggling and some haven't survived. People weren't able to worship at church on Easter. Then in November we had what I believe to be the biggest election of my lifetime. Biden supposedly won but under deep suspicion of fraud. If Biden is truly our President then I accept it and I pray for godly wisdom for him. In fact I have already started praying for him and our new V.P. but I also believe there is still much to be uncovered and I shudder to think what my children's futures will look like. Despite all the unknowns there was still a lot of good from 2020. I was able to live in the moment and just "be." I resisted it at first. I am pretty sure I spent all spring swearing and crying over all the missed opportunities. Summer came and with it came nicer weather and more opportunities to be "normal." I have actually traveled three times since the pandemic and I savored every second of those trips. Relishing the time with friends as I knew it was a rare gift. The fall was difficult but I am thankful our school district was in person so it was somewhat normal for Nick. However, the fall has been very difficult for my sister and her kids. My mom broke her arm right before Thanksgiving and we are thankful it was her "bad" arm. While it is true the pandemic hasn't done her any favors I am thankful she can still live at home with her dog. Then December hit and for the first time I can remember I loved December and was reminded of the real reason for the season. December has always been my busiest month. Both boys played basketball and every week night was spent at games. It was a juggling act of getting presents bought, attending parties, planning menus and going to basketball games. But this year there was none of that. My December was filled with coffee and prayers in the morning, work during the day and evenings spent around the breakfast bar with my family, laughing and sharing. Truly I will always reflect on December of 2020 with fondness. Eventually life will get back to normal (I hope) but something tells me I will long for these 31 days of December 2020 when it was just us, my small family of four, laughing and talking every weekday night, just as God intended.
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