In December 2019, I was excited about the year 2020. It was so cool, as 20/20 is a designation for perfect vision. I knew it was going to a unique year and I wanted to be sure to make it a great one. I even made a joke that I will see clearly in 2020! Who knew how solemn a truth that would be?
The year 2020 started well. In January I was planful and had a lot of hope about what kind of year I was going to have. Then came March 2020, and I did not see COVID coming or its impact. I started out in denial by thinking, “why are they making such a big deal of this?” and “what do you mean, you can’t find toilet paper?!” Honestly, I figured it would be a couple of weeks and then back to life as usual. Little did I know that a couple of weeks would turn into many months.
It is now January 2021, and one thing is for sure, life as usual, maybe gone for good. At one point, I teased people who wore masks in public. Now, I am one of those people. Get-togethers were on a screen. Holidays were spent over the phone versus in person. How in the world are we going to get through this is the question? This is where the 20/20 clarity started to come true. I saw more clearly that what I needed to get through life were God and my loved ones.
The loss of life due to COVID is not just a number. People have lost parents, children, friends, extended family, co-workers, and the list goes on. Literally, COVID has taken the lives of so many in a short period of time. I too lost friends in this season and much of it was painful. I saw that the people I did have in my life were a blessing that I should not take for granted. My faith in God and His plan for my life now had taken front and center stage for me. Why – because it was the one thing I knew I could count on in an ever-changing world.
It takes faith to think it is worth getting and living each day not knowing exactly how the future plays out. It takes faith to realize that the people in our lives now, would appreciate it because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It takes faith to believe God has a plan and that plan will be for our good.
The clarity of 2020 will not be wasted on me. Life is truly too short not to appreciate every blessing that we have, especially the blessing of loved ones. I am not sure what 2021 will look like but I am sure I look forward to seeing more of what life has taught me.