Welcome to 2021!
Needless to say, 2020 did not go as anyone planned. We all got hit with a very unexpected curve ball named COVID-19. I know that many people are ready to watch 2020 be over. At the same time, there is not some giant lever that was magically flipped at midnight taking away all of the chaos of 2020. There were those who let 2020 take them down, those who simply went on surviving it, and those who chose to thrive despite it. Over the last few days, I’ve seen so many posts with people counting the minutes until 2020 was over, with an air and tone as if things would be instantly magically better. For some, their magic thoughts seemed to ring true as they discovered stimulus payments pending in their accounts (mine had actually been there since that last day of 2020 😉).
I come baring the reminder that, as with anything in life, the new year will be what you make of it. It is all about perspective and not letting it get you down. 2021 will still have the residual chaos from last year-- both political and pandemic related, with no known end date in sight. Even the Roaring Twenties did not start off with a bang. 1920 marked the end of World War I and 1921 was a year of growth. The twenties did not start truly making a name for itself until 1923. From there it was great economic growth and invention until the crash of 1929. Yes- 2020 was plum awful, but it also gave us lessons in appreciation, what we value, and a chance for reflection.
As you walk into 2021, do not concentrate on the negativity or how things could get you down. Instead, find the positives. I am not one for goals and resolutions. They often come in with great momentum, but normally get forgotten once real life starts up again after the holiday season is over. Instead, my girls and I come up with a word that will be our motivator for the year. This is the word that will power us through. My honest answer-- I have no clue what my 2020 word was. I had a real “2020” year and let it get the best of me in some aspects. That has led me to my word for 2021: PROGRESS. I am not looking at a year with giant lofty goals, instant improvements, or perfection. Instead, I want to see progress-- the little baby steps that show I am still moving forward. Miss Kreatively Kris picked the word HOPE. She felt that everyone needed a little more hope in 2021… last year made a lot of people lose hope. Just Jay picked CREATIVE… maybe we should make that with a K-- Kreative. Creative is a word that guides her life already, but Jay wants to work on continuing to improve her creative outlets this year.
Of course, for safe measure, I did what any great foodie does and made some traditional New Year’s foods that are supposed to bring prosperity into the new year: black eyed peas with ham, collard greens, and corn bread. I figured it does not hurt to add a little extra luck to this year-- as we as collard greens are one of Kris’s favorite foods. For an added bonus, we also had biscuits and gravy to start off our day and year. It is one of my favorite breakfast foods-- a treat that I rarely have as Kristin is not a fan. However, each time I eat it, I tell my girls that any day that starts off with biscuits and gravy is going to be a good day. Maybe the same is true about starting our year off with it, too.
On that note, I am starting off the year right-- or rather write… by writing. If I was to toss a goal out there for my year, this is the one. 2020 was supposed to be the year that I dedicated to getting my website back up. For more reasons than just COVID-19, the website was put on the back burner and my creativity was sucked out of me… resulting in a major creativity freeze.
