Lessons from a Challenging Year
I started 2020 at Daytona Beach, on one of the most peaceful and enjoyable vacations I’ve ever had, and I thought that this was going to be a year to remember. I was right…just not in the way I thought.
It’s no secret that 2020 has been a tough year for everybody. A global pandemic. Social unrest. A political season that has seemed to bring out the worst in everybody. We’ve all had to deal with those problems.
On top of all those things, I lost my dad to cancer. I had to end a 30-plus-year friendship, tried to let this friend back into my life later, and had to do it all over again. Our family Disney trip and several other events I was looking forward to were cancelled due to COVID-19. Needless to say, I’m ready for 2020 to be over.
But as I look back over the year, I’ve had plenty to be thankful for, and I’m walking away with some amazing lessons that I’ve learned and wisdom that I’ve gained in 2020.
I’ve learned that family is more important than any earthly thing. Right around the same time that the world locked down, my dad went in the hospital. We didn’t get to visit him after the first couple of days that he was in there—probably my biggest regret of the year.
Just before he came home, we found out he was dying of cancer. Hospice would help us take care of him, and we were told to prepare for two week to two months for the end of his life. We had two days with him before he went to be with Jesus.
For those who don’t know, most my immediate family lives within walking distance of each other, and the rest are close by. We had more sweet family time together this year at just the time we needed it. I’m grateful for that.
I’ve learned to cherish the friends who are loyal. This year has revealed true friendship to me. I mentioned the friendship I had to let go of—twice—this year, but I’ve also seen friends who let politics get in the way of relationships and treat those with whom they disagree with contempt. I’ve seen people whom I thought of as friends treat me in ways I never imagined. So, the friends who mean the most to me mean even more.
I’ve learned to appreciate home more than ever before. For a significant part of the year, home became my office. I figured out how to work comfortably and how to minimize distractions, just in time to un-learn it going back to the office long enough to have to re-learn it again at the end of the year. The restrictions kept travel to a minimum as well—not being able to go to Disney World this year was tough for my family.
But I’ve learned to appreciate what’s right around me. My mom said something recently that stuck with me: “If we go back on lockdown and can’t leave Georgia, we’ve got mountains and we’ve got beaches, and they’re all close by.” Yep. Staying close to home isn’t too bad when you have to.
I’ve been reminded over and over to place my trust in God over men. I have absolutely hated the politics of 2020. Both sides have let me down: most of the people I agree with, as well as the ones I don’t. Blame. Hostility. Conspiracy theories. Gloating. I’m over all of it.
Psalm 20:7 tells us: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” I’ve been clinging to that reminder every day.
Y’all, it’s been quite a year. I’m not going to call it a bad year, because on the whole I’ve grown as a person, and I’ve learned a heck of a lot.
But I’m ready for 2021. Happy New Year, everybody.