I looked up last years’ January title of my article, and found it very thought provoking: “Will 2020 Give You the Gift of Sight?”

Like everyone else, I had no idea what 2020 had in mind for our world and for every person in it. 

What Did 2020 Give You?

Just one issue from a long list of terrifying situations would have been hard enough to deal with, but no, we had to cram as much stress and fear into 2020 as possible. 

Did 2020 give us the gift of sight? I believe it did, and so much more. It gave us the gift of what is really important in our lives and what we are really made of when the going gets tough. 

I think “the guy upstairs” decided to give us a major wakeup call by taking the world and giving it a good shake. 

We took a lot for granted. Family, employment, safety, sanitation and good health. We could visit family and friends safely by airplane or eat out or throw a party with as many friends as we wanted. Kids went to school while we went to work. We never worried about a lack of toilet paper. We had a pretty idyllic life. 

Now we have rules to live by, if we want to live. Wearing a face mask, washing your hands often and social distancing are the top three. 

Putting us in “lock down” was the start of people realizing their gift of sight and a huge kick of reality. 

What did we see with our gift of sight in 2020? Family is first and the most important part of our lives. Hugs are a necessity for numerous reasons. Kindness never goes unnoticed. Being involved, having a voice and taking a stand for what you believe is right truly can change the world. 

I realized that worry is a misuse of time. You have the power to feel sad and scared, or you can turn off the news, put on a happy movie or work on a project that makes you feel like you have accomplished something. 

We have been more appreciative of the work of our front-liners and the parents of children who are now home schooling. 

We can find the beauty in just about anything, if we try. There is beauty in more knowledge for sure.

I found that wearing a face mask means it takes me 5 minutes to do my makeup because I only have to do half my face. Masks are also a great way to hide double chins and jowls. So, at least there is a plus side. 

We have a lot of work to do in 2021. Please do your part to make the difference we need.