I think saying, “wow what a year,” would be an understatement. Last New Years seems like a lifetime ago and I think we can at least agree, it most definitely does not feel like just under 365 days ago. In the last year, life has offered up far more than any of us thought was possible to handle. I know we’ve learned so many different things about ourselves as individuals, about what we can achieve together, and about what truly matters to all of us. 

It would be so easy to look back at 2020 and simply want to wish it away but there’s always something to give you perspective, something to teach you an important lesson and even if you have to look harder than ever before, something to be grateful for. 2020 you’ve been a hell of year but I’ve found more of myself and learned more this year, than ever before. 

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Appreciate The Ones You Love

This is probably the biggest thing that 2020 taught me, was to appreciate the people that I have in my life, my friends and my family. My parents, my sister, my grandparents, my best friends, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, my college friends– my wonderful, supportive, one in a million loved ones who get me through each and every single day. I am a big family girl and have a close group of friends, but not being able to see or be around any of them, has been hard. One of the best parts of this year and something I’ve seen so many people shout about, is how much they love and couldn’t do this life without the people they love. 

The holidays did not pass by quietly with the thoughts going to all the people who have lost family members and friends to the pandemic and who had empty seats at their tables. For that, my heart goes out to all of you and I pray every night and am so sorry for the loss you have experienced.

Through those losses, I know so many of us have a new found appreciation and thankfulness for the front line workers who have fought for us this year. They’ve been fighting for us in a way that is simply unparalleled and how grateful and thankful we are will never be big enough words to describe how super human each one of you are. You have saved countless lives and continue to do so with amazing strength and determination. To every front line worker, every essential worker, every person that has kept our country running through this year – you deserve the world. To simply say thank you will never be enough. 

Things Can & Will Go Wrong

Sometimes things in life can go wrong and you know what? That’s okay! Not all of us love change but we are adaptable creatures. This is not an easy thing to wrap our minds around AT ALL, believe me I am the person that hates change the most. This is more of a case of accepting that life will never be perfect, it’s just not possible. But with the things that go wrong, we learn a lot from that.

Amongst the things that do inevitably go wrong, the one thing we can control is how we react. We may not be able to stop things from going wrong in the first place and we certainly can’t control how others choose to react, but that doesn’t make the situation hopeless. It’s all too easy to panic when life throws you a curveball, for some of us that’s in our nature (**cough cough, guilty as charged**), and for some of us it’s a choice we make but accepting that life goes on and we can try to turn things around for the better, has certainly helped me this year.

We Are Stronger Together

A lot happened in 2020 that gave us pause. We became separated, whether it be by the pandemic, George Floyd killing, Black Lives Matter protests, or voting, we found ourselves choosing sides. We need to STOP doing that.

The things we are able to accomplish if we just work together are absolutely incredible. Whether it be getting to the polls and voting, marching for what we believe, standing up and saying it is time for change, supporting small businesses, or donating to charities and foundations through these tough times, we can do it all together. We have shown time and time again that we are resilient and are stronger together than separated.

“We are stronger together than we are alone.”

Walter Payton

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I want to hear from y’all what your biggest takeaways from 2020 were and what you learned, so comment those down below. As always, thank y’all for stopping by and reading. I will see y’all back here next time.

Love, Dani