Christmas and New Year's ended up being rather quiet compared to what I might otherwise consider normal. And it was nice in a way, Christmas nor New Year's felt all that rushed.
There are many blessings and things to be grateful. I'm excited about a Covid-19 Vaccine and will look forward to getting one as soon as I can. For quite a few days, I'm hearing of someone in my circle of friends and acquaintances who have Covid-19. So far, most people have recovered but a few have lost loved ones due to Covid-19. The strain on the public health system concerns me but there isn't a whole lot I can do to fix it or solve the strain. Out of an abundance of caution, to protect myself and others, I will wear my mask when I do go out and about running errands, etc.
The Blessings:
- I have enough food thus far in my life
- I have always had enough shelter thus far in my life
- I have the use of my arms and legs and can exercise in quite a few ways (even though I greatly miss swimming regularly)
- I have a new four-legged friend
- I know how to read and write. I received some gift cards and cash which I put toward buying books as that is a good way for me to pass time in the winter
As a fairly reflective person, New Year's came and went with actually very little reflection in terms of setting any new goals. The day truly passed just as if it was another day. That doesn't mean I haven't thought about goals or aspirations - as I'm frequently thinking about these things anyways. I just didn't put any pressure to make January 1, 2021 be the first day of a new year of awesomeness, perfection-seeking (I am recovering perfectionist), or anything else. A new year with very little pressure because really each day is a new day and changes or new directions can be explored at any time during the year. And to be fair, today is the twelfth day of Christmas. Tomorrow is Epiphany and technically marks the beginning of Mardi Gras season. Parades in New Orleans start in January (this weekend, in fact).
So what are the aspirations for this New Year:
- Read more, be more intentional
- Continue blogging or writing in some form or fashion
- Improve my penmanship (cursive), learn old school and modern day calligraphy
- Exercise a few times each week
- Maintain a bullet journal (more below)
- Regroup and find full-time work. I have a part-time, temporary position but will need to find something full-time at some point.
What's a bullet journal you ask? It's this wonderful tool of a notebook with dots forming a grid for you to almost plan your days, weeks, months. Some people get super artsy. I'm not super good at art, but I do appreciate art and enjoy dabbling in various mediums of art for the simple enjoyment of it. My 2021 cover page is the picture for this post. There is something about pen and paper to plan your days and helps me be a bit more productive. It also provides a natural outlet for me to dabble in artsy endeavors. I did enjoy setting it up.
To sum this post up - I appreciate my cousin's comments about how 2020 forced her to reconsider time. Time slowed down, she reconsidered how she thought about time and how she used time. I appreciate this thought from her and that she shared it via social media. I think a lot of people can relate to having a new viewpoint of time. I hope I can use this 2021 year wisely - with my time, energy, and talents.
I did pick one word for 2021 - Determination. We aren't done with Covid-19 and all the fallout it might cause yet, so to thrive and/or merely survive - I think a measure of determination will be needed.