Happy 2021!

2021 stretches out before us. Who knows what it will hold?

The year 2020 has come to a close. We all have lived through so much this past year. I believe many if not most of us are hurting in some way. Sometimes we don't even realize it until we feel ourselves reacting to the comment of a friend or family member. The reaction could be a giddy, over-the-top “YES!” at an observation that resonates to our very soul. The reaction could also be a gut-wrenching “UGH!” as we determine whether to respond to an often-unintentionally hurtful comment with our true feelings or just let go of those feelings without responding. Tears come unbidden and often at the weirdest times. We feel our bodies tensing and our patience fraying, even when dealing with normal day-to-day stuff. We have no ability to think at all when a big decision confronts us.

We are grieving.

This year has taken a toll on us. I see it on weary faces and hear it in tense tones. We are grieving lost friendships, as political furor has broken many previously strong connections. We are grieving lost extended-family time, as we protect the most vulnerable among us. We are grieving lost jobs, lost habits, and lost vacations. Some of us are grieving the loss of a loved one on top of all that pervasive grief. Everywhere we turn, we see loss. It is hard to focus on anything else some days.

The grief is real, but I want to start the new year with a look at my own positive moments that only happened because of COVID restrictions. Here we go.

Things I Accomplished During 2020 (the Year of COVID)

1. Slightly before COVID restrictions were in full swing, I created/finished two Shutterfly books. One commemorated our trip to the Gulf of Mexico in 2017, and the other one was a compilation of photos and stories from the first 33 state parks we have visited. I looked at the books (and other trip scrapbooks) many times during our COVID restrictions.

2. I dug up my entire garden patch, which was filled with big (well, not small) tree roots. I didn't quite get them all, but I got most of them. I enjoyed replanting the garden and keeping the bird bath in the middle of it filled with fresh water for my back yard birdies. I also trimmed back some low pine branches that were blocking sunlight that might get to the garden (and getting in my way).

3. I stripped wallpaper in our spare bedroom and then painted the room. We also moved furniture around and got the twin bed out of R.J.'s office and into the spare bedroom, while moving the book shelves into R.J.'s office.

4. I painted our bedroom.

5. I painted the bathroom, including the ceiling (and myself).

6. I finished writing stories for Em, Joe, Laura, and David. These stories were begun in 2001. After I finished writing the stories, I painted watercolor pictures to illustrate the stories. Then I took photos of the illustrations so I could create the books on Shutterfly. I finished them all and ordered them in September. They were Christmas gifts for the kids, only now I want copies for myself as well.

7. I made videos. Lots of them! I created videos for my preschoolers. I created videos of me reading books. I created a video of past Arnold vacations and and another of past Barnes Frolics, both of which were events we could not do this year because of COVID. I enjoyed creating videos so much that at the very end of 2020, I ended up creating a YouTube page for the material I am creating for kiddos. I am calling it “Learn & Laugh with Mrs. Traff.”

8. I created a set of “bird cards” with pictures and a small amount of information about common Minnesota birds. I ended up printing and selling those card at the Creating Hope 4 Cambodia sale, which was virtual. I sold 12 sets of them for $25 each (laminated and on a ring)..

9. I learned to Zoom! And better yet, I learned to Zoom with preschoolers. As I now like to say, you haven't lived until you've had a Zoom meeting with a group of four and five year olds!

10. I became a certified CPR/First Aid Instructor. After the course was canceled three times (due to COVID), I eventually was able to take it. The class took two full 8 hour days, with homework in between. I passed and then taught the skills portion of the training course four different times, for coworkers at the preschool. Class size was limited to four people at a time due to COVID restrictions.

There's more, of course. There's always more to be grateful for. When I can shift my focus to those positive elements of a truly stressful time, I feel my heart rate decrease. The good doesn't eliminate the bad, but it does temper it. This year has forced me to learn and learn and learn until I am tired of learning and I just want to be. I pray that when I choose to just be, I will always be in the arms of Jesus, the One who loves me best.

This blog entry has been mostly empty of pictures because I made a video retrospective of the year. Here it is, the good and the bad all bundled together. 

 

2021 is here. We're not just turning a page, we get a whole new calendar. Let's not be overwhelmed by that but instead trust that each day will be just another step in the healing process, another day to feel the overwhelming love of our Heavenly Father. Take care, my friends, and remember that I love you!