How does the saying going – Out With The Old and In With The New. We certainly are there and then some when it comes to the current year and needing a change from it!
Out With The Old…
Many things have happened in 2020. That seems strange considering how much time has been spent here at the house and shop. The most obvious major thing that happened was the coronavirus. It’s hard to even imagine life without that as the major news story each day.
Where Were We When…
Yes. We will be saying that sometime in the future. Where were we when the coronavirus affected us for the first time. We happened to be on a trip to Texas in our motorhome. Traveling down to Texas in late February really didn’t show any signs of the things to come. We had a fairly normal trip down. Each RV park we stayed at was pretty normal. People didn’t even talk about the coronavirus. Groups got together and didn’t think a thing of it. Even the RV Park we stayed at in Spring, Texas had breakfast and dinner gatherings on a regular basis.
But then things changed. While we were at the Houston Zoo with the grandkids (and thousands of people), we thought a bit about the coronavirus. But we really didn’t have a clue of what would come later that day. The Houston Rodeo was in full swing and suddenly was closed down. Someone at the grounds tested positive for Covid. We washed the clothes we had on and honestly were in a bit of shock.
And our vacation pretty much went downhill from there. We were to meet friends in Tucson and spend a couple more weeks enjoying the sun. Instead we basically B-lined it for Oregon. We didn’t know whether borders would be closed or what would happen.
Remembering the Good
When someone says “out with the old”, it sounds like you are getting rid of something that is no longer good. That isn’t necessarily the case. Especially with this year. Good things did happen. You have to look at it with fresh eyes to appreciate it.
A favorite sentiment from this year is an Instagram Post from Loving Wellness Mind and Body. “I think that when the dust settles, we will realize how little we need, how very much we actually have, and the true value of human connection.” This is so true and should be in the forefront of our minds when we think about 2020. We were fortunate to spend time with our granddaughters and get to know them better. We stayed home and actually enjoyed the time with ourselves (sometimes just sitting around reading books). We went through things we weren’t using and donated them to people who could use them. We did more cooking at home, but still supported our local businesses. And just maybe we got to know ourselves a little better.
We experienced some sad times during the year. It was hard to see so many people and businesses suffering, and yet see so many people who didn’t believe it was real. We can only hope that we are able to finally turn the corner in 2021. Things will never be the same as before the pandemic. But, they will definitely be different. People will work differently and companies will re-evaluate the way they do business.
Looking Forward To the Future
It may not be a “resolutions” type of New Year on January 1. We’ve made many resolutions during 2020 that will carry into the future. We are hoping, however, that the vaccines start allowing us to plan for a new normal. Once we are past the vaccine phase and moving on with life, we may think differently about how we conduct every day life. Have a cold or the flu? Maybe we’ll put on masks and not “spread the love” to everyone else. One thing we are sure of. Everyone is looking forward to 2021 and closing a very dark chapter in our country’s history. It may be 2022 before we are truly able to get back to normal, but 2021 has to be better (and more hopeful) than 2020. Here’s to a truly better New Year for all!