2020: A Retrospective

What on Earth does one say about the year 2020?

It's now mid-March 2021, and I'm still processing the year that has passed. In fact, it's been almost one year to the day that the world shut down...and I don't mean that facetiously. The world legit shut down last year at this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And, in most cases and in most places, things are still not back to where they were.

Schools were closed. Corporate offices were closed. Theaters were closed. Libraries were closed. Grocery stores were ZOOS!

Toilet paper and - really - all paper goods were MIA. Hand sanitizer and soaps were backordered. Hell, I witnessed a toilet paper transfer across state lines go down online between two of my high school classmates!

Last year was like no other I've ever witnessed...and I've heard from my elders that it's unlike anything they've witnessed, too.

While I can't say that we did much, we went through a whole lot. Here's a list of how my 2020 went - the good, the bad, and the ugly:

• My job was eliminated in mid-January, which I tried convincing myself "wouldn't be so bad because it would give me some time and space to figure out what I want to be when I grow up." (Insert record scratching here) Narrator Keith Morrison: "But that's not what happened. That's not what happened at all."
• The girls and I roller skated at a seven-year-old's birthday party and I went home with a bruise on my backside. We also took a trip to the RISD Museum; created themed gift bags and decorated a portion of the lawn for Halloween; picked sunflowers, pumpkins and drive-thru picked up tulips; and swam, floated and paddled in a NH lake with friends.
• Harley and I indulged in donuts and champagne at PVDonuts for Valentine's Day; enjoyed an overnight at Graduate Providence (with Mona); were gifted a white onion by Xaco Taco on the eve of quarantine lockdown so we didn't have to go to the store; played Pandemic with the Welles family; and started a date night tradition of Masala and Dateline.
• I read Green Eggs and Ham to Mara's class as part of her birthday celebration, and brought Dallas' class cupcakes for her birthday. We also participated in many birthday parades and sent some well wishes via video.
• I celebrated Girls Weekend at The Stonehedge Hotel & Spa with the Larned Ladies. We brought and ate too much food, talked about everything under the sun, laughed until we snorted and cried, and enjoyed spa services. (Sidenote: the venue that has since shut down, which is a shame because it was a great getaway with the gals.)
• I enjoyed hearing Lite Rock 105.1 play Christmas music in March because there are no rules during quarantine.
• Home schooling from March-June was utterly exhausting. I started out with high hopes - ordering supplies from Lakeshore Learning, and trying to create a schedule, guidelines and rules. Many of those had gone by the wayside by April.
• We had engagement photos taken at Xaco Taco, the Providence Pedestrian Bridge, and India Point Park in Providence.
• I Zoomed with friends, bridesmaids, family, and potential employers; but visited family when the demand was too great to ignore.
• I spent more money on face masks, soap, paper products, and hand sanitizer than on shoes, clothes, parking, and potentially gas for my car.
• As a family, we ate dinner in the bed of a truck in the driveway because we needed a change in scenery; spent many days and evenings on the deck listening to music, drinking craft beer, and watching the girls play in the yard; and stringed lights outdoors at Christmas.
• I screamed at the girls for being jerks to each other and to me, and for not cleaning their rooms - once to the point of pulling a muscle in my neck, and at Mona for attacking a bird in the backyard.
• I read dozens of books, but nothing more memorable than The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I have made more of an effort to learn about the Black Lives Matter movement and speak up when and where I can. That being said, I can do more.
• I rented out my condo and got a temporary contract gig with a large employer in the state, which hopefully will act as a bridge to securing permanent work.
• I celebrated turning 40 by receiving my first mammogram, and tested negatively for COVID twice.
• I voted by mail in a presidential election and was thrilled with the outcome.
• I cried. More than usual. Harder than ever.

As terrible as this year was, my family and I were lucky. We didn't face anything that we couldn't overcome. Despite the overwhelming concerns and stressors, we came together when many grew apart.

As I write this, the sun is setting after a gorgeous, crisp, winter day. The weather is starting to turn here in New England and hope is on the horizon.

Vaccines are here and we're awaiting our turn. Restrictions are starting to lift locally and across the country and around the world.

Here's hoping 2021 can redeem, at least partially, the dumpster fire that was 2020.