Heeeyyyy friends!
I know it’s been a HOT minute (well, months if we’re being literal) since I last published a post. It has been weighing heavy on my mind for the longest time to get back into blogging, so here we are. I figured what better time than now, at the end of this hell-of-a-year, than to reflect on 2020 on the eve of 2021.
When this year first started I never expected how much I’d end up appreciating the little things in life. Things like shoving a bagel in my daughter’s hands and shouting at her to get her shoes on so we could run out of the front door in order to make it to the bus stop in time. Now every time I leave my neighborhood I sit at that corner a little longer and reminisce of the days the kids would run up and down the grassy hill and wait for the bus to come to go to school. Those days feel like a lifetime ago.
Oh, the simple joys in life. After all, that’s what 2020 has taught us, right? To enjoy the little things. It’s no longer just a cute slogan for a t-shirt or a coffee mug, it’s literally our way of life.
Up to this point, my kids have spent more time watching TV then they’ve spent in school since they closed things down in March. The Octonauts on Netflix does have some educational content though, just ask my 6 year old who shares random facts about dolphins when we’re driving in the car.
There have been days where I’ve neglected my kids for hours in order to get work done. We’ve had mac-n-cheese and spaghetti for dinner so many times I should have stock in Barilla. I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve yelled at my kids to stop yelling (makes sense, right?). I’ve felt like the worst parent and like I was “ruining my kids” more times than I felt like I was nailing it and there have been many moments (& dinners) I’m not proud of.
But, while this year has been filled with lots of tears, tantrums, doubt, frustration, and butter noodle dinners, there’s been a lot of good that’s come from it too.
Despite being thrown in the fire back in March when both kids were sent home for school for what was only supposed to be 2 weeks, we managed to…well, survive. It took us what felt like months to adjust (aren’t we still doing that?), but we did. I am incredibly thankful for the fact that I was already working from home (& for myself!) when this pandemic hit. Even though I had two rambunctious kids at home full time for months, I was still able to grow my business.
The craziest part of it all? Being home full time with my kids is what I had always wished for when I was stuck working an office job. Having to go back to work, away from my babies, just 3 months after having both kids was something that always felt so unnatural to me and that I had a LOT of guilt about for a long time. I would sit at work and day dream about what it would be like working from home. I wanted to still be able to provide for my family while also being their for my kids. Now, I’m doing just that.
When I think about the things I used to wish for that are now my reality it gets me excited about the future. One day, the things I’m wishing for now (like being able to retire my husband or buy our next dream home) will be things I reflect on and think…man, I used to dream about these days! It gives me something to look forward to.
So as this year comes to an end, I hope you take time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly. There has to be a silver lining in there somewhere.
You know what they say, hindsight is 2020, and boy is 2020 a year we could all look back on and clearly see what matters most in our lives.
Happy New Year! Cheers to 2021!
xo,
Kristi
Leave a Reply