The past 9 months have been hard for all of us. My plans to continue building my business got set aside in order to reprioritize our family life. When it all started, I was angry at all the distractions and new responsibilities keeping me from working on my business. I was angry at myself for not being able to juggle everything, even though I knew deep down that my expectations were unrealistic. After several months, I accepted that I needed to forgive myself for not doing everything I had planned. Then I realized that there is nothing to forgive. We’re all doing the best we can. I’m doing the best I can.
So instead of staring at the long list of things I didn’t accomplish in 2020, I made a new list. Here is my retrospective 2020 to do list (I’ve checked off every single one):
Help my 2 youngest children learn online
Finish a quilt (that I started 15 years ago) for my oldest child
Make and give 4 wall quilts as gifts in memory of my late father-in-law
Preserve 38 quarts of applesauce, 8 gallon bags of tomatoes, 8 gallon bags of squash, 6 gallon bags of rhubarb
Explore herbal remedies and rediscover food as medicine
Help my oldest child settle into a new apartment
Learn about a new virus
Spend more time with my husband and children
Learn to play new board games
Embrace patience
So here’s to a new year of flexibility and love for ourselves and others.
Happy 2021!
Postscript
I wrote the above post several days ago; planning to post today. After the events of yesterday, it is more important than ever to love ourselves and others. Remember that everything we say and do impacts the greater world. Even when the words and actions of others leave me frustrated and angry, the legacy I want to leave behind when I’m gone is love.