2020

In just over a week, I was going to be joining my husband's side of the family on a vacation. First stop was Florida, then we'd board a cruise ship bound for the Bahamas. Having never been on the east coast, even briefly, and definitely never having gone out of the country or been on a cruise, I had been enthusiastic about this trip.

Everything changed when COVID-19 attacked. (Insert reminder to make Erik watch the Avatar the Last Airbender series with me here.)

I knew that the cruise would be cancelled long before it was, but when we got the news officially, I was still disappointed. And that's okay. 2020 hasn't been the friendliest year. We're allowed to be upset about plans that have been taken from us, about injustice and contention, about all the hurt and let-downs this year sent to us wrapped in barbed wire.

The important thing is that we also look for and allow ourselves to feel relief from the good parts of 2020. Because even with everything that's been going on, life is not all bad! I have still found moments of peace and happiness, and I'm still counting the multiple blessings! I've had the privilege of a steady job, and so has my husband. Knowing that many lost their jobs humbles me and I am grateful to work where I do.

I have the opportunity to support my community. We've been able to eat out at some locally owned restaurants. I finally tried sushi from the restaurant across the street from where I work and have found my favorite sushi roll, and better yet, I have interacted with their friendly staff.

Additionally, with my position at the bank I work for, I was able to assist with the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans for small businesses that needed help paying their employees. It was an amazing thing to see what a difference such a loan made to these business owners who before didn't know how they were going to make it. We're not out of the woods yet, but I hope this helps them hang on for a little longer.

Erik and I will be celebrating our first anniversary June 22nd. I am so blessed to have this wonderful man in my life, and he's been the best partner through this year. We're having a mini adventure in Salt Lake City, and even though it's not the Bahamas, I look forward to it and am glad that we're able to make the day meaningful by spending time together.

I love my family and friends, and I've stayed in touch with them the whole time. I'm grateful for the technology that allows us to communicate so easily. And I have amazing coworkers that have made coming in every day like normal a positive experience, even as the world outside our building felt so different and strange.

Oh, and this year I made a goal, and so far I've done it every day since January 1st. I have so many notebooks that I never did anything with, but I've written in one every night before bed, and I'm only pages away from having the whole notebook completed. The work in it isn't anything ready to see the light of day, but the rule was that I just write without worrying about whether it was good or bad.

Erik's been a great support with it. When I'm being critical, he tells me to stop and to just have fun with the writing. He asks some nights if I've written yet, and he turns on something to watch on the TV while I do what I'm supposed to do so I can focus and don't feel rushed to go to bed.

Am I going to one day have one of my books published? I don't know. I hope so. But if nothing is ever finished, the answer has to be a resounding NO. If I never practice, like I have been in this notebook, I'll also never get better. I feel like this year I'm getting back into the routine of writing daily, no matter how much I accomplish, and helping me focus on the stories in my mind that matter.

We're in June. We have almost half of this month left, and then July through December. It's not too late to make this year excellent, regardless of other circumstances. Those circumstances demand notice and response, but they also don't have to be the one and only defining feature of 2020. There can be such good things this year.

To the rest of 2020! And in the face of adversity, I'll remember the wise words of The Emperor in Disney's Mulan. "No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it."

Be a mountain, my friends. Don't let 2020 lay you out flat. And if you find yourself sprawled in the dust by an overwhelming gust, that's okay. Get help to stand up and brush yourself off. Just keep trying.