The time has come. The day we’ve all been waiting for since March has finally arrived. The New Year is nearly here, and we couldn’t be more excited to put this disaster of a year behind us. Years from now this year will be described as the year that wasn’t. So many plans just to be completely wasted by being in quarantine for the majority of it. The year of loss, the year of despair, the year of complete and total chaos. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that literally anything can change in an instant. That tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. The time spent with family will be the best part of this entire year. That the smallest moments, take up the biggest place in our hearts. Life hasn’t been normal for many of us for almost a year. Wearing masks anywhere and everywhere you go, being cautious to be too close to anyone, getting temperatures checked daily at work, freaking out if you start to feel sick (that could just be me being a hypochondriac), working from home or being taught schoolwork virtually at home are all things that have been implemented since the pandemic began. So many people have gone too soon due to this horrific virus, and now with the vaccine arriving just before the new year, it is giving us a glimmer of hope that 2021 will be the savior we’ve been waiting for.    

For the majority of the world, 2020 has been the worst year of their life. No one deserved to lose anyone from COVID-19, no one deserved to lose their job, their business, their homes, etc. due to the restrictions, and shutdowns. But, again 2020 showed us what was important in life. Slowing things down, focusing on health, spending quality time (for some maybe too much time) with family really helped showcase how much some of us take for granted. Speaking for myself, I definitely spent three full months realizing how much the daily rut or routine I was in was so heavily focused on stress, dumb drama, exhaustion, and anxiety, rather than being grateful for having a job to go to during the week and appreciating the time spent socially with coworkers and patients. I was stuck in my home, like everyone else, upset that my job could’ve been lost, that my social life was gone, and I didn’t know who I was anymore. Coming out of that 3-month quarantine, was eye-opening. It feels comforting to go back into my old routine, with a few minor differences of course, but now it’s filled with much more appreciation for my work, gratefulness for time spent with family and friends (more so in the summertime when we could comfortably social distance outdoors) and the anticipation to hopefully one day soon visit my 95-year-old grandfather whom I haven’t seen outside of a zoom call in over a year.   

I was talking to my best friend last night and we were discussing what word we could use to describe 2020. He came up with “survive.” I think it was a perfect way to describe a year that heralded so much pain and loss, but also perseverance. Every day more obstacles and challenges were thrown at us, and every day although we struggled, we surpassed them. I think teachers coming up with different ways to teach their students through their screens, and people finding unique ways to communicate for working from home, and every workplace implementing plexiglass screens, monitoring 6 ft apart on the ground for social distancing and taking temperatures to try to slow the spread was just a few examples of how so many people did everything they could to bring normalcy to this bizarre year and to do everything they could to keep kids learning, people from losing their livelihoods and keeping people safe and healthy as much as possible.   

No pressure, 2021, but this year better be spectacular LOL. I think back at all the New Year’s Eve parties and celebrations that occurred last year as we all rang in a brand-new decade, the roaring 20’s, and how we were ready to leave 2019 behind us. 2021, we’re all ready for you, we all have such high hopes for you, and I’m ready to bring the valuable lessons I learned in 2020 to put forth in this upcoming year of life.   

I haven’t figured out what my new year’s resolution will be, I know I didn’t complete last year’s which was just to be able to do pull-ups on my own without any assistance, and I got so incredibly close in March before the gyms shut down. But this year, I don’t think it will be a physical resolution. To quote Cher Horowitz from Clueless, “I decided I needed a complete makeover, except this time, I makeover my soul.” I just want to have peace. No drama, no strife. Just utter happiness. My word for 2021 will be bliss. I’m enjoying the fact that in a few short hours from now my husband and I will ring in 2021 together as we do every year, with a ton of amazing possibilities and opportunities on the horizon for what’s to come.   

What is your word for the year 2021? Any resolutions? Please share in the comments below!