Saturday, January 2, 2021

What 2020 Taught Me

Hiiii, remember me?! 
Ana Elliott in the snow in Springfield, MO

I went into 2020 expecting a very normal year where I was going to bake bread, just for fun. Then the world closed down, everyone learned to bake bread, and I didn’t even have the energy to do that. For all of us, 2020 was heavy and disorienting. But I’m thankful for a new year, a clean slate, and the promise of a hopeful tomorrow.

The number one lesson 2020 taught me is to appreciate the little things. Of course, I’m thankful for HUGE things in my life, like health, family, a job I love, etc. But when a year like this removes a lot of the small, everyday routines in life, I’ve learned to chase the tiny joys harder and appreciate the new:

  • the satisfaction from placing the final piece of a puzzle
  • challenging how many times I can flip the same vinyl without feeling sick of it
  • walks around my neighborhood have become an anchor I didn’t know I needed
  • the happy + sad feeling from finishing an addictive tv series
  • sitting around a fire during a snowfall was just as magical as it sounds
  • the shared intimacy of facing a tough year with people I love
Snow dusting in Springfield, MO

Ironically, the one project I did keep up with in 2020 was recording 1 second of (nearly) every day of the year. I went into 2020 thinking this would be a fun hobby, without having any clue that it would become my personal time capsule for a year the world was turned upside-down.

Some days from 2020 feel bigger than others — the day we left the office to work from home, knowing barely anything about what a pandemic was. Easter at home. My best friend’s wedding. Biden winning the election. Thanksgiving and Christmas, to name a few.

But recording 1 second a day gave equal time and priority to every day of 2020, and it’s a good reminder that the bulk of our lives happen in the small moments between each big event.

Sending you so much love + well wishes for 2021, savoring the little things, especially as we face the (hopefully!) final days of this pandemic.


xoxo