Closing the Book on 2020

2020. What a year. My phone screen lights up and the date shows December 31, 2020. Physically that appears correct, though mentally I’m still stuck somewhere around March 13, 2020. Typically this time of year (the celebration of the New Year/New Years Eve) calls for self reflection, but where do you start when you have such an eventful, jam packed year? So many events, experiences, and emotions all brought to the surface. Everything just seemed so unpredictable and indescribable. Life felt so overwhelming, yet isolating at the same time. Life itself became juxtaposed.

After considerable (days worth of) reflection, I have come to the conclusion that 2020 was nothing but a year of extensive lessons.

I think that was one of the most shocking things about this year though. There was time to reset. Reset our goals, perspective, and lifestyle. To reestablish our priorities and gain a better understanding of what means most to us as individuals, and really just as a human race. And “resets” are good for all living things, and can be incredibly beneficial. The only problem is that when most people think of a “reset” there’s typically a positive connotation that comes to mind, which is why this year came as such a shock to a large abundance of individuals. Many of us often catch ourselves reminiscing on “life before COVID19” and hopelessly wishing for the “normal” days prior. But why is it that all that we were declaring as “normal” was actually quite the opposite, now that I think about it. I’m not saying that this past year was normal…because we both know that 2020 was ANYTHING except that, but if there is one thing that is undeniable it’s that this year and all its unpredictability caught the human race by surprise.

As if us humans were getting overly satisfied and comfortable with our little routines that we so quickly took for granted and adapted to.

To the point where we didn’t even recognize a solid 75% of the things we were doing. For many of us, this meant access to grocery stores, casual and sometimes awkward conversations with the cashier at Trader Joes, working out at the gym or going on a run outdoors and inhaling that fresh air with every pounding step, meeting friends and spending quality time while indulging on your favorite meal or coffee, or embracing the ones we love most. The list goes on and on.

So as this chapter titled “2020” comes to an end, I hope that the beauty of life can soon be appreciated. I hope that, soon, we all can meet in person and sit closer to one another, hug one another, and build new lasting memories with one another.

Cheers to a new year!