For the past 10+ years, I have kicked off the new year by sitting down and selecting a word that I hope will encapsulate my coming year. If I'm being honest, I normally forget about the word by February. But when I review how my previous year went, the word I picked is always somehow fitting.
Last year I wrote about my hope to EMBRACE all aspects of my life. Whatever life looked like I was going to embrace it. And looking back at 2020 I think I was able to do that for the most part.
I know that for many people worldwide 2020 was a really crappy year. And there were some hard parts for our family as well. But if I really take stock, 2020 would not rank in my Top Five worst years, maybe not even in the Top Ten. We all have bad years. The years that have been the worst for me, probably weren't the worst for you. If you had a particularly bad year in 2020, I am so sorry for that.
I have come to believe that it is a privilege to carry each other's burdens when we ourselves are not as burdened. If we were all carrying the same burdens at the same time, how dark would this world be?
Instead there are ebbs and flows and we have to love each other through the hard parts. This is part of the reason I try to share my hard seasons with other people. Life is much easier if I know someone out there is helping me carry my own burden by praying for me, or encouraging me, or sharing their own stories of hardship. It all helps to lighten the load of life, and I feel privileged when I can do that for people around me as well.
Something my kids learned in science last year is the way that animals respond to change: they either hibernate, adapt, or migrate. I started out the pandemic by hibernating. I didn't do many of the things I loved. I sat inside, alone, and was miserable. But I eventually started to adapt to what was going on. I found ways to connect with people that felt safe for my family.
March through May were tough as we adjusted to a new way of doing life. We embraced what was in front of us while still trying to keep things as normal as possible for our boys. At one point they asked to sleep in a fort on our porch and we let them. And we kept on letting them. They slept on the porch from March until sometime in August, in freezing temps and through the heat of summer in the south. They were content to sleep outside and we were content to say yes to something.
In June, my boot camp class started meeting again outside. That was a turning point for me. I could choose to safely be with people. I could choose to move my body. Around this time I also chose to turn off the news. I realized that I could read enough to keep abreast of what is happening in the world, but I didn't have to let myself be sucked into a 24/7 news cycle.
After cancelling a big summer camping trip out west, we decided to start camping locally as often as possible. Then once the fall semester started back up, I got my homeschool hiking group meeting again on a regular basis. One hard decision we made was to not rejoin our homeschool co-op, preferring instead to do activities outside only. It's been a weird year but we are hopeful for 2021.
I can't say I know what is coming. I can only do the best I can with the life I have.
For 2021 my word is continue. I will continue to show up for my family and friends in safe ways. I will continue to read and learn as much as possible about the past and how it impacts our current world. I will continue to make decisions that are best for me and my family with the knowledge that I have. I will continue to be supportive to those around me and give grace when needed. I will continue to carve out a happy life and choose joy even when things are hard. I will continue to place my trust in God, knowing that tomorrow is never promised and choosing to have peace with whatever lies ahead.
