Hindsight is 2020! Now Looking on to 2021

Wow Wow Wow! Last year on January 1st, 2020, we launched BB and Binks and could NEVER have imagined what the year 2020 was going to bring us. In some ways life has been easier and much more simple. Then in other ways life has challenged us to our fullest extent.

The Start of 2020

Binks and I started this blog/social media presence knowing literally nothing about it…nothing. What’s funny is I thought she wanted to start January 1st so I hauled ass to get it put together. There were many many frustrating moments. I didn’t know what in the heck I was doing, but knew that if I didn’t just go for it, I never would.

We began the website and then started applying for affiliates. I went back to my 2020 post and was excited to see how far we have come. It’s been a very exciting and challenging year, but one for which I’m so very thankful.

Then Came Corona

Just as we were expanding, life started to change. My family went to North Captiva Island for spring break. We had started to hear about Coronavirus and we weren’t sure what we should do. Should we go or should we stay home? Inevitably, we decided to go, and while we were there, chaos began.

Each night we watched the news in disbelief. It felt like the world was falling apart right before our eyes. This terrifying virus was spreading like crazy and killing people everywhere. To say we were scared was an understatement. We tried to enjoy our vacation but there was definitely a dark cloud over the trip.

Stop Hoarding all the Toilet Paper

OMG the threat of running out of toilet paper was real. By the time we had returned from our spring break, toilet paper was ALL OUT! You couldn’t find it anywhere. Fortunately, I had stocked up before we left unknowing. Going into a grocery store seemed so vulnerable. Was I going to get this awful virus and spread it to my family?

We literally stayed home for 3 full weeks. Now just for some reference, I’m not good with this. I always say I’m a stay at home mom who doesn’t like to stay at home. I love doing things. I like to take my kids to museums and zoos. I love hanging out with friends and their children. I don’t love staying home all the time. I felt very trapped.

The Good

With all that being said, I must say it was really nice to slow down. To not have to run every night to kid activities was a serious bonus. My husband who usually travels a lot, stopped traveling. My kids have loved having him around so much. It’s definitely taking some getting used to because he’s always traveled since we’ve known each other, but ultimately, it’s been a real bonus.

My very favorite part of all of this is having family dinner together every night. As children, my husband and I grew up having family dinner, and we both value that time. We understand how important it is to spend that time together. I’m beyond grateful for this.

My family has stayed healthy. We have not gotten this terrible virus that has affected so many people. We are trying to do our part by staying as safe as we can.

The Bad

Well sometimes the days seem so hard. My daughter has really struggled with distance learning. Even though I taught 10 years in elementary school and have a Master’s degree in Education, nothing could’ve prepared me for distance learning. To say we struggled is an understatement. It often made me feel like such a bad mom and a failure. We may or may not have signed her up for private school which she starts this week because they are going to school everyday. We knew we needed to do something different for her.

Lack of time. I am a total extrovert but being with people 100% of the time is exhausting. The lack of ANY time by myself has been a huge challenge. I feel like I’m “on” all the time. I also feel like I have no time to get things done. I’m always hustling and so much stays unfinished. This doesn’t sit well with me.

Hindsight is 2020

No one could have prepared us for 2020. Would we have done somethings differently now that we know what we know? Sure…maybe. But every new year brings new challenges and adventures. We will certainly go back and look at this year in both a good and bad way.

One of my kids teachers said, “We are surviving a global pandemic, this is no small thing. We must give ourselves some grace.” We talk about it, but you all this is a big darn deal. As of today, January 2, 2021 there are 82,670,394 confirmed cases and 1,797,115 deaths worldwide. This is just insane. And the numbers will only go up until we can all get vaccinated.

We will all look back at this year with so many mixed emotions. Some very strong and tough emotions and some emotions of gratitude. We were able to slow down a bit and spend more time with our families…well, our immediate families. We depended more on our neighbors than normal. In some ways we got to go back in time when life was simpler.

Now for 2021

I have goals I want to achieve. This blog and social media content creation has been a life saver for me. I have truly appreciated the challenge and creative outlet. I really want to grow it and expand it. Growth take work and learning and I hope to find the time to continue.

Gratitude is on my list to give more attention. I want to be aware of what I’m grateful for and reflect on it. I bought The Weekly Gratitude Project. I want to focus on the challenges in this book to learn more about myself and create a more grateful heart.

Lastly and most importantly my health. We so often make health goals and then have a hard time sticking to it. I began a new program on Halloween and have lost 18.4 lbs to date. This program is helping me make better decisions and to stop looking at food as a crutch but more as just fuel for my body. Reach out to me at bbandbinks@gmail.com if you have any questions. I imagine this is going to be huge for me this year.

Cheers

Cheers to you, to Binks, to 2020 for serving it’s purpose. Cheers to continuing to survive a global pandemic. Cheers to new adventures and letting old stuff go. Cheers to 2021!