during a call last weekend with our leadership council, the students were tasked with sharing words they want to bring into their experience this year and why that word is important. there were all the ones you expect to find, like flexibility and preparedness and innovation and communication, plus a few i hadn’t seen before but was glad to have included.

each student had the opportunity to share why they picked that word, and one of the seniors shared something that stuck with me — her word was positivity, because at every turn people are lambasting 2020 and talking about what a terrible year it has been and how they can’t wait to be done with it. yes, 2020 has certainly had some low lows and a lot of things i’d rather not have experienced, but as that student reminded us, focusing on the negative isn’t going to get us anywhere. if we are going to move forward, we have to look at the positive.

before i go any further, i want to once again acknowledge how privileged i am to be able to even write this post. i still have my job, i still have my home, and thus far i have not lost anyone i am close to because of covid <emphatically knocking on wood>. i have friends who have been furloughed, i have had to take a pay cut, and i desperately miss being able to grab a drink with my friends or have lunch with my parents, but in the grand scheme of things i am fine.

so today i would like to focus on the positive things that i have gotten to experience these last 6 months:

• i have read 51 books so far this year, 16 more than my initial goal for 2020 and more than i’ve read in a long, long time
• i have run 82 miles, only 3 short of what i ran all of last year, and it’s only the second week of september
• working from home means i have not worn real pants in 6 months and i honestly don’t even know where my jeans are
  • it also means i can go for a walk in the middle of the day if the weather is nice, which i often do when i have a non-video old school phone call
• while i am doing my best to support as many restaurants and small businesses as i can, i have also been able to save some of the money i would have otherwise spent on trips
• it’s given me the opportunity to volunteer as a meals on wheels driver, something i have been wanting to do for years but could never quite fit into my schedule
• i am finally getting underway with a big house project i’ve been wanting to do for the last 2.5 years

it’s so easy to get caught up in all of the things that weren’t, the cancelled trips and the missed job opportunities and the delayed reunions. sometimes i need the reminder that 2020 has also been a good year in a few ways and that i shouldn’t overlook that.

has 2020 brought you any silver linings?

xx