Hello Monday: 10 Things about the Past Year

Based on Shelly's recommendation, I listened to this podcast episode - 10 Questions to Mark One Year of the Pandemic. It a good one, and today I'm answering the questions. Want to join in? Copy the graphic - I'd love to read your answers.

Last week, I saw so many social media and blog posts about how the world shut down one year ago. Words used to describe the feelings about the past year were bittersweet, disbelief, sad, thankful for some things, lonely, depressed, unsure, fearful, stressed, vulnerable, and tired. I think it is safe to say we have all felt some of those emotions over the past year. It's been a doozie!

1. WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN EARLY 2020?

In a word, life was normal. We were wrapped up in Grace's senior year, and Jack was busy with choir and worship band. Michael was travelling for business (Korea), and I was volunteering 1-3 days per week with the library and school. Grace and I had just gone shopping for her prom dress, and she was working at Kumon part time. Grace had two last college visits scheduled for late March, before she made her final decision. We were all excited about going to the beach in Playa del Carmen/Cancun.

family walk

2. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHANGE?

We flew back from Cancun, and stopped at the grocery store on the way home from the airport. We stocked up on pantry essentials and meat. Life screeched to a halt as school was cancelled, and Michael started working from home. We all thought school would go back in just a few weeks. The kids started virtual classes, and it wasn't very organized at first. Remember when none of us had even heard of Zoom?

During those early days, I tried to only go to the grocery store every two weeks. Remember wiping down the groceries? Grocery pick-up appointments were impossible to get. Restaurants and most businesses were closed. We hunkered down! We were blessed with the mildest, most beautiful spring weather that I can remember in Texas. It really didn't get hot until June, so we spent lots of time on the patio.

I got all our games out and we played them after dinner some nights. We worked our way through some movies. In those early days, it seemed like we all were craving time together as a family. As the pandemic wore on, I think we all wanted our own space more and more.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR COPING MECHANISMS?

For Michael and I, we coped by spending time outside...walks, lounging on the patio, and bird watching. We couldn't believe we had a pair of nesting hawks in the tree behind our house.

I think the kids coped by hanging out with each other and staying connected with friends via text. Grace really missed out on the end of her senior year. It was tough because we kept hoping they'd go back or that prom would be rescheduled or that something normal would return. In the end, we were thankful that they scheduled an outdoor graduation ceremony.

4. WHAT DID YOUR CONNECTION IN RELATIONSHIPS LOOK LIKE?

I am very thankful that we live in Texas where restrictions were lifted for the most part in May 2020. After that point, I met with close friends for walks or lunch. We saw family, even though we knew it could be a risk for older family members. (This was their choice.) I know that everyone handled covid in different ways and had different comfort levels with restrictions. For our family, we were comfortable seeing family and friends in small groups.

5. WHAT WILL YOU REMEMBER MOST?

I will remember afternoons on the patio, enjoying the outdoors, lots of daily walks, and seeing Michael WAY more than we ever have in 20 years. I am grateful for all that at-home family time in the spring and summer before Grace left for college. And for her extended Christmas break at home. I feel like we were eased into having a partial empty nest!

I will remember the absolute joy we felt when Jack had the option to go back to in-person classes this fall. And the frustration I felt toward the university for holding virtual classes with only freshman on campus. How could our large public high school manage it but they couldn't?

I will remember the overwhelming gratitude we felt when Grace graduated. We were so thankful that our district MADE IT HAPPEN. And again that gratitude when we had an indoor choir concert a few weeks ago...the choir director MADE IT HAPPEN.

I will remember our family working as a team. Sometimes things were boring or frustrating or irritating...but I didn't hear anyone complain about anything and that made it all a little easier.

Who wouldn't want to walk with this guy?

6. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

Without a doubt, the biggest challenge was losing Michael's dad to cancer last summer.

Personally, my biggest challenge was finding a sense of purpose. I have been a stay-at-home mom for more years now than I was a teacher. I have always felt busy with housework, yard work, volunteering and keeping everyone's life running smoothly. When the world stopped, most of my tasks outside of the home did too. So it left me feeling adrift.

Another personal challenge was the frustration I felt from so many of the mixed messages I heard from various media outlets. And inconsistencies in the rules and guidelines. It was mainly about small things (like why does the choir wear a mask to sing the anthem on the field, but the cheerleaders do not wear one to cheer on the sidelines), and I didn't want to make a fuss. But it was still frustrating.

7. WHAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY?

A few things stand out in my memory - visiting Wes and Suzette more this year than we ever have before, Grace's graduation, going back to in-person church, going to a high school football game, visiting Atlanta in October, and going out to eat for the first time when Texas reopened last May.

Outdoor choir concert

8. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE NOW THAT YOU DIDN'T BELIEVE A YEAR AGO?

I already believed this, but it reaffirmed my knowledge that we can do hard things. People are resilient and compassionate and stronger than they think. Covid was (and is) a challenging time for the entire world, but looking back in history we can see many tough(er) times that people endured - the World Wars, the Holocaust, the Great Depression, and that's just the 20th century!

I believe that people like our family that were able to work from home and not worry about missed paychecks or lost businesses were very fortunate.

I believe that the last year destroyed any trust I felt about the news media. I learned to go to the primary source and not automatically believe the headlines.

Outdoor Thanksgiving

9. WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?

I think I would have planned some kind of road trip for last summer. As a family, we weren't hesitant to stay in hotels or eat at restaurants, so we really could have had a road trip vacation.

10. WHAT WILL YOU CARRY FORWARD?

Having hand sanitizer with me at all times? ha, ha And walking every day...it's a habit now.

I will always be thankful that Michael had the privilege to work from home (and keep his job.) I will be grateful that my kids are troopers and make the best of any situation. I will forever appreciate things from "normal" life and our comfortable home.

What are your thoughts after one year of the pandemic?