
Did anything good come from 2020? Well of course it did but we have to intentionally look for the good. As we approach the final hours of this trying year, I have one word for it…"BYE!" This year has been, "hell on wheels" as my grandmother used to say. So like everyone else, I'm not sad to see it go. 2020 wreaked havoc of epic proportions, that's stating the obvious. Many of us proclaimed that 2020 was going to be our big year with goals to achieve and enthusiasm that followed as we closed out 2019! No one expected the backdrop of 2020 to be the COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in over 19 million positive cases of the virus and it's claimed the lives of over 334,000 Americans to date according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The economic shutdown was a direct consequence of the virus. There were protests and civil unrest that came to a tipping point with the killings of unarmed black men and women by the police. Citizens took to the streets calling for justice for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Jacob Blake, Elijah McClain, and many others demanding systemic change for fair and equitable treatment of black people. We had enough. The country was divided on these issues which only added to an already contentious election year. As if that wasn't enough, the hits kept coming, in early fall I was diagnosed with breast cancer. For all the devastation endured in 2020, It gave me a new perspective and I experienced personal growth amidst all the chaos. Here's what 2020 has taught me.
Don't take time or health for granted. I once heard someone say, "every day above ground is a good day." Life gets complicated and it's fleeting. I cherish the time I can spend with my family and friends. I find peace in simple things like nature and being by the water. I enjoy it when I can even if it's only for a few moments. It does wonders for my well-being.
Homeschooling isn't my strong suit but we've figured it out. Working remotely has allowed me to spend valuable time with my son, watching him grow and develop has been fulfilling but not without challenge. Virtual schooling hasn't been easy but for months I was able to take walks, shoot the basketball, and bike ride with my son on our lunch breaks. In normal life, this wouldn't have been possible. I would have been at work and he at school.
Nurtured relationships are lasting relationships. Maybe I'm biased but I think everyone needs friends like mine. I have lifelong friendships. I mean, ride or die, tell me the truth, be there when it counts kind of friendships. My friends have been an absolute source of encouragement, sanity, and support. We have been a source of strength for each other. I couldn't imagine going through this year without them. I tell my family and friends that I love them often. I say it and try to show it more than before.
Don't suffer in silence. It's ok to ask for help. I've always had an independent spirit but that doesn't mean I have to do everything alone. I've had people offer to help me when they saw there was a need but sometimes I've had to advocate for myself and ask for help because no one is a mind reader. People can't help if they don't know you need it.
I am an activist in my own right. I care about the issues affecting my community and I have committed myself to do my part. I'm contributing to the changes I want to see reflected in society. I'm educating myself sharing that knowledge and using my platform to inform people about a different experience in an effort to be a bridge.
Legal gun ownership is absolutely necessary. The way people carried on at the beginning of the Pandemic over toilet paper, let me know that the movies were right, when people's normalcy is interrupted they can't be trusted to be rational. I hope for the best in people but prepare for the worst. I'm just saying!
A budget is imperative. With so much uncertainty, nothing is guaranteed and in the event of a swift financial transition, we should know what we have coming in and going out in order to make adjustments.
Never stop believing or speaking the best for the future no matter what I'm facing. I'm looking forward to growth and healing in 2021. I have a battle ahead of me but with God all things are possible. I'm tapping into my entrepreneurial spirit. I have plans to complete and publish my first book in 2021 amongst other projects. I'm claiming healing and prosperity as stated in 3 John 1:2 KJV, "Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth." With that being said, 2021 Let's go! What do you think about my list? Let me know what 2020 has taught you.
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