2 Years Later

I just read my last post here. It was over 2 years ago and just as we were heading into 2020. Man, what promise and optimism I had for the new decade and 2020 in general. It was going to be my year! Who knew that 2.5 months later how the world would change and with it my optimism, at least for a time.

These last 2 years have taught us all a lot about ourselves, our country, and the world. It has been hard. The isolationism that this pandemic has brought to many, myself included, has been something I never thought about before, and something I hope I don’t have to experience again.

If you haven’t guessed, I’m an extrovert and build my energy from being around people. That changed greatly early in the pandemic and continues now to varying degrees today. So, I had to decide, now what?

My Now What, turned out to be a slow process of building resilience. I gave myself and those around me a bit more grace. I found ways to connect when I needed to, but also worked to build internal energy. I heard my grandmother’s words echo in my head “this too shall pass” and “everything happens for a reason.”

I realized that while my 2020, and then my 2021, and now likely my 2022 looked very different than I imagined, they are years in my life that I will look back on with some reverence for the personal growth.

I have always struggled with patience; I have built patience.

I have high expectations for myself and those around me; I have learned to calibrate my expectations based on circumstances.

I love being around people; but I can be alone and be just fine.

To my friends and family that have had a hard time these past 2 years, remember the words of my grandmother quoted above and in the words of my other grandmother, I wish you all Lots of and Luck.