*Surprise*

We are now, officially, half way through 2020.

Sigh.

I had no idea how time would fly when I was sitting at my home with all of my children, all day, everyday!

I have noticed over and over and over again – memes online about how horrible 2020 is. You know, the fires, murder hornets, pandemic, racial unrest.

But when we get online and declare “2020 is the worst year ever,” we are writing off six. full. months. of. time.

This writes off the year for growth, learning, molding and becoming more of who we’re meant to be.

The Time I Wrote Off An Entire Year

Once upon a time, I did this.

It was the day after I got home from Disneyland. Within 24 hours, I went from being at the happiest place on Earth, to sitting in my doctor’s office looking at a ultrasound monitor that didn’t have a heartbeat on it.

My third pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.

I was devastated.

I went online and typed the words, “2017 is the worst year ever.”

It was early March, but I had decided to take the full year and trash it. Never mind the coming nine months of possibility.

Fastforward to the end of 2017.

Right before the clock struck midnight, I was sitting in the ER with my son who had been throwing up, bent over and screaming in pain over what the doctor’s thought was appendicitis.

It wasn’t – thank goodness. 

Right before we had gone to the doctor’s office, I took a moment to write about my worst year ever.

I needed both hands to count the number of serious issues we had dealt with that year.

• my miscarriage
• my pre-schooler hospitalized with asthma I didn’t know he had
• a fall my pre-schooler needed 2 staples in the back of his head to fix
• my husband’s heart stopping for 8 seconds
• my toddler in for surgery
• a bird pooped on my head 😉

I always like to add that last one – it was just that kind of year.

Even as I had started that last day of 2017, I looked at the year as a total loss.

Then I started writing.

I was challenged to write about the good things that happened that year.

My internal dialogue answered Ummm nothing. 

But as I started to think, I realized:

• I was nominated for my 2nd Emmy
• I started a podcast
• I broke a major news story in my area
• I ran a full marathon
• I sent my oldest to Kindergarten
• We had these amazing coast pictures taken.

The year was never a loss.

There were losses within the year – even the very real loss of a pregnancy. But the year itself, that was never lost.

There was still so much to gain, so much to learn and so much room for growth.

That’s the same with this year.

What are the good things that have happened – amid the struggle and the loneliness? Amid the loss of money, lives and certainty? What have you gained? Peace, love, connection, time?

20/20 Vision

Of all the years to be stuck in a pandemic, it’s funny it was this one. Well, I’m not sure funny is the word. But how many of us looked to 2020 year to be a huge banner year. It was going to be the “2020 Vision” year. Countless leaders were throwing 2020 Vision events. It was in videos/blogs/social media posts. This was the year we would have 20/20 vision.

Ha – we so did not have 2020 vision going into this year. We were so nearsighted, it almost hurt.

But guess what we have now?

Wait for it.

Yes.

2020 vision.

Or at least we have a pair of good glasses.

Now we can see clearly. We have clarity. We have context.

We can see that we are in the middle of a time that has mostly unknowns.

We can see that we need to be flexible, scrappy, thoughtful and creative.

We know that a good year doesn’t mean a year without trials. We know that a good year is made up of a million moments worth living.

Here’s to starting the second half of the year with 2020 vision.

Cheers.