Goodness what a year this has been. As a parent, a business owner and a blogger - it's been a year of my life that I will never forget.
Five hundred thousand Americans and millions of people around the world lost their lives. All of us have lived in fear and isolation - I have never used more hand sanitizer in my whole life - I have polluted the world with so many masks and at a time when we were all supposed to use less plastic to save the planet, we are all covering more and more things in plastic and now fabric masks.
Personally, it has been a year of loss - first my father, then my best friend of thirty years. It's been an unstable year - losing my footing and my confidence in the future, as so many have in the entertainment industry. Broadway shut down...Hollywood in a shambles - and influencers are thriving showing us how to play mindless games and sculpt our faces with makeup.
On a personal note, my family has been drawn closer together than ever - because the outside world has become overwhelming to us all. We spent three months in home confinement far away from friends and loved ones. Our son has become a pro on the internet at the ripe old age of eight - because that was how he accessed his classroom and his friends...now we need to pull him off the darned thing to get ten seconds of his time and attention.
None of these things are unique - except for those who have no internet, no computers, no gadgets...I frankly think they are probably doing better - because they aren't sucked into the time warp or the abyss of technology.
We have found humor in difficult situations - we have cried at dark moments. What a year this has been. March 12th will be a very sad day for me for the losses that we have faced - but it will also be a day of reflection on all that we have gained and celebrated as humans. We are reminded as humans to value life, family and the small moments. Value each other and stop running all the time. The financial toll this has taken on all of us cannot be measured yet as the fallout will continue for the months and years to come.
I don't feel the need to garnish this post with a picture - there is too much sadness and there are too many lost lives and destroyed families...yet we still need to find hope and keep seeking gratitude for all that we do have. That is my encouragement for all...find hope...find peace...