It’s official: 2020 has come to a much-awaited close. I feel like this New Year’s Eve we all couldn’t count down fast enough and that ball still dropped too slowly. The resounding sentiment was one of pure joy to wave goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021 (still 6-feet apart and with a mask on). Last year stretched on and on, and 2021 offers a glimmer of something we’ve been waiting for: hope.
The hope is that at some point, preferably sooner than later, we might be able to get back to our pre-pandemic lives (or at least to something that bears a resemblance). There’s hope that we can shake hands again, hug family members, see people’s full facial expressions, and get back to our schools, places of work, and gyms. There’s hope that we can travel, see live music, and (depending on where you live) eat inside of a restaurant and have a drink at a bar again. There’s hope to have a housewarming party, or a baby shower, or stop postponing weddings. There’s the sense that it has to get better. It will get better. Sweet goodness, please be better. We have waited, impatiently, for 2021 to hurry up and arrive, and maybe it seems like it took the long way, got lost, or told us it was on the way when it was still inside getting ready (so rude), but 2021 has finally showed up. We’re not sure what 2021 will bring to the party, but I think it’s safe to say we are thrilled at the arrival.
While there’s hope and optimism, there’s also, unfortunately, a lot still out of our control. When the clock struck midnight, the problems of 2020 didn’t magically dissipate. The changing of the year, while thrilling and joyful, does not offer us a freshly cleaned slate or these-are-the-answers-to-everything clarification (wouldn’t that be nice though?). I think in a way to deal with some of this loss of control, people have been asking and talking about New Year’s resolutions more than ever (myself included). If we can’t control what’s happening with the world around us, what can we control on a personal level? I actually sat down and thought about my resolution list. I reflected on the year and what was beneficial about it and what, of course, was terrible and disappointing. I can’t remember the last time I actually took pen to paper and made concrete yearly goals, but I completed my list.
If you would have asked me to write my goals on New Year’s Eve 2019, I can guarantee you that they would have looked a lot different than mine do for 2020. I’m guessing one could have been “live a month plus internationally” (something I would love to do). For juxtaposition, one of my goals for 2021 is “get on a plane again.” That’s it. Just to safely travel somewhere – most likely just domestically – and I will take it. My goals have changed from “Eat dinner in a treehouse in Tulum” (check) to “Be able to celebrate a special dinner at a restaurant.” Again, that’s it. Just wanting to eat a nice dinner inside and purchase way-overpriced drinks. Simply to eat any meal inside of a restaurant would be pretty exciting at this point honestly.
While I can laugh at the simplicity of some of my desires for 2021, I can also appreciate the subdued nature of these requests. A lot of the glitz and glamour has been removed, and what’s left are simple pleasures that I have definitely taken for granted in the past. I think this reframing is important, and once you take out the fluff and shine, you are left with what’s really essential: taking care of yourself, spending time with family and friends, celebrating pivotal moments with loved ones, and finding and growing what makes you happy. Am I dying to take a trip to the South of France with my husband? One thousand percent. Can I still have a great time drinking champagne with him while sitting around a fire pit in our front yard? Absolutely. What really matters is spending time with him (and what kind of champagne it is…just joking…sort of).
As we say our final goodbyes to 2020, I would like to thank the year for a major perspective shift. I’m grateful for the reminder about what really matters. That being said, I’m hopeful for 2021, and that we all will take what we’ve learned (the good, the bad, and the ugly) into this new year. Cheers to seeing some light at the end of this tunnel, and to finally greeting our greatly anticipated guest: 2021. Happy new year to you all.
