2020 Some Things Worth Remembering

There is so much truth in that statement. It’s easy to find happiness in the special moments. The daily grind is where there is a challenge. This was and continues to be a truth for the time we are in. Many have found happiness in the less exciting aspects of life. A simple walk around the neighborhood is a treat. Camping, hiking, and kayaking are our preferred activities.  Not just for us it seems, outdoor equipment sales soared by mid-year 2020. Bike sales grew by +63%. Paddlesports, much the relief of suppliers and manufacturers who had been facing declines, grew +56%. Golf was up +51%, and camping +31%. Judging by the difficulty of getting a campsite, I think this number is probably a good bit low.  Back in October we scheduled all of our 2021 campsites and have already started looking at 2022.  CRAZINESS!  (source)

2020 was less than easy. It took real effort to find happiness in common things. I didn’t mind working from home. I certainly didn’t mind social distancing.  As an extreme introvert, it was nice to have my preferred life become socially acceptable.  The mask was a little tough at first, especially when hot. Over time, no big. It is just another item of clothing.  I knew that it was going to require an effort to stay active and not sink into the frustration of the election, Covid-19, and the changes we faced. I need goals and am very task-driven. So I set one and decided to learn how to use my digital camera and shoot in manual mode. I took a specialization through Coursera (which I just finished, yay me!) and took pictures as often as possible. As much as possible I ate lunch with my husband and took walks morning, afternoon, and evening as weather permitted. We adjusted. There were a few scares with the kids being exposed. They are all working outside the home and being as careful as possible. By the end of the year, only one was actually living at home. (Fly little birdies! I’m so proud of you!) Some friends and family were not so lucky and suffered from the virus, and some succumbed to the complications. 2020 was certainly not all rainbows and butterflies.  We had to make the best of it, and I’m proud to say we did.

If you have 6 minutes to spare, check out our year in review video linked below.

Live life. Give joy. Be at peace.