As we’re wrapping up the weirdest year ever, I’m reflecting on all we did as I design our annual family holiday card. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine we would be in the middle of a pandemic that is looking like it will last almost a year and a half (if we’re lucky). I had been feeling really overscheduled and overwhelmed back in January of this year with multiple soccer games and classes every weekend, rehearsals, gigs, playdates, birthday parties, social plans, and trying to stick to a strict gym schedule. Something had to give.
Just as we were beginning to say no to more things and we decided to take a break from soccer skills class, enter COVID-19. We were very abruptly asked to start working from home on a Thursday in March, and Grace had her last day of in-person school the very next day. Naively thinking it would be just the 2 weeks our work and schools were saying to help contain the spread of the virus, I thought it would almost be like this glorious staycation where we got extra family time, took walks together every day, and got hours of our days back not commuting or going to classes or rehearsals. Now here we are the day before Thanksgiving, living “the new normal.”
At first, I was scrambling to try to find educational resources for Grace to keep busy and continue learning while her school prepared to teach remotely. We were attending daily livestreams of animals being showcased at the Cincinnati Zoo. I was printing out math worksheets, word scrambles, generating papers with creative writing prompts, and bookmarking educational YouTube channels. With my sudden burst of creative energy, I hopped on the bread baking bandwagon with the rest of the nation, made lists of lots of stuff I wanted to learn to do in my new found free time, started working out everyday in my office with my brand new 24K kettlebell, and began scheduling several regular zoom “happy hours” with co-workers and friends. I thought it would all be over in a matter of time and we’d most likely still be able to go on the exciting vacation to California I had booked for August.
We may not have gotten to do many of the things we expected to do, or would normally have done in 2020, but in some ways, it was almost better. I find myself more relaxed and content than I have been in years. The stress of running around all the time and being so busy as a family is completely gone. We have had all of this unexpected family together time we’ll probably never have as much of the rest of our lives. I am content with simply getting outdoors for a change of scenery and to enjoy the fresh air and the views right around my neighborhood and on walking trails in surrounding towns. We all enjoyed new hobbies like longboarding, scooting, and Grace learned how to ride her bike. I took up reading books again, got into meditation, got back into yoga, and learned to eat healthier with the help of a health coach. Jeremy had the time to dedicate to composing and recording music again through multiple virtual collaborations with friends, and he has further developed his astrophotography skills. We enjoyed camping 4 times this summer making great memories with Grace. Instead of a normal birthday party with friends for Grace this summer, I took her on a special “zookeeper for a day” experience at Animal Adventures in Bolton where she got to job shadow someone and learn to care for some pretty exotic animals. These are the special things she will grow up to remember most fondly.
In the spirit of being positive as we look forward to 2021, I hope everyone is able to find their own silver linings during this incredibly challenging time. There are plenty of good things to appreciate, ways in which to be more compassionate, and time for personal growth. I hope everyone stays safe this holiday season and finds some joy in the small things.