This year has been hard for so many people and for so many reasons. But while it feels like the world has been crumbling underneath our feet, what's interesting about tough times is that they also make us more grateful than we've maybe ever been before.
For me, personally, 2020 has been a year full of big feelings. This year has been hard, especially for moms trying to hold it all together. Emotions like loss, grief, and anxiety (or pure terror?), to name a few, are hard to ignore. But if we're lucky enough to keep our heads above water, we can aim to focus on the good stuff. I know I'm not alone when I say that 2020 has filled me with gratitude for the things I do have, for the good people are doing in the world, and for the things I know will eventually be coming back into my life.
Right now, if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, try to focus on the good things in your life. You might just find that there are actually a lot of reasons to feel grateful — even if you don't feel that way all the time.
Here are eight things I'm feeling especially grateful for right now, and maybe you are, too.
My Pets
In 2020, there's been a huge boom in animal adoption. It really comes as no big surprise. Animals help relieve stress and combat loneliness. In a year where I've been mostly staying home, snuggling my animals and just taking care of them has become a more important part of my routine (and my sanity) than ever. Just walking my dogs and giving them hugs feels like a simple and healthy thing that helps keep my head above water. When it feels like the world is crumbling, the love of a pet can help keep us all going strong.
Friends and Family
The biggest struggle for most people has been staying away from friends and family. Keeping to ourselves for months on end is tough, even if we aren't the most social people in the world. But the truth is that absence really does make the heart grow fonder! Not being able to see our loved ones whenever we feel like it makes the times we are together, even if that time is spent masked up and socially distanced, even more valuable. It also makes us look forward to a time when we won't have to plan out every meeting so meticulously. No doubt, we'll be forever grateful when that time comes.
Technology
Going through a massive health crisis is frightening. But imagine if we lived in a time when we couldn't connect or entertain ourselves as easily as we do now! Having unlimited use of the internet, smartphones, and endless sources of entertainment from technology sure does make it easier to hang around at home. Personally, I've never been quite so grateful for my devices than I am right now. Especially because, my God, what on earth would my kids have been doing all this time????
Cooking
I am not the best cook in the world, and it's not my favorite thing to do. But this year, I've become more grateful for the little things, like cooking a good meal for my family and sitting down at the dining room table to eat it. In a time when everything feels stressful, taking the time to make a beautiful meal and enjoying it with my kids puts everything in perspective. At the end of the day, we're healthy, we have good food to eat, and we have each other — and that's really all that matters.
The Outdoors
Nature is a sanity saver. That's probably why, in an incredibly tough year, we saw so many people (even people who wouldn't call themselves "outdoorsy") take up new hobbies like kayaking or jogging. Personally, hitting my hiking trail a few times a week and losing myself in the woods for an hour or so puts me in a much better mental place. Getting out of my four walls is definitely good for my mental health. The ability to do that has also made me so grateful for the natural world around me.
Music
Listening to music or playing it ourselves is a great release. I hadn't picked up my guitar with any regularity in a while, but once I realized I'd be (mostly) without a social life for a while, I started playing again. Now that I'm playing on the regular and learning new songs, I feel extra grateful that I've had more downtime to do it. Music can have positive impacts on our mood, or it can trigger a good cry. Either way, music is good for the soul.
Small Acts of Kindness
I feel so lucky to have people in my life who have made efforts to stay in it. One of the ways friends and neighbors have shown up for me (and vice versa) is through small acts of kindness, like dropping off a card or a bottle of wine on my doorstep. While we can't see each other regularly, these little efforts go a long way in helping me feel more connected to the people in my life. If you don't have the means to do much, honestly, even sending a text check-in can feel so helpful. I'm massively grateful for those who continue to check in with me.
Teachers, Doctors, Nurses, and Essential Workers
If there's anything to be undeniably grateful for this year, it's the doctors, nurses, and essential workers who have been out there every day, keeping us safe and keeping the world turning. But teachers have also been the shining lights of 2020. They've been doing some of the hardest, most exhausting work there is, whether that's meant adjusting to teaching from behind a computer screen and keeping kids engaged or putting their lives at risk to teach in person.
Either way, we really learned this year which jobs are really essential. We should continue to express our thanks to those who wake up every day and do those jobs.
