Hoping for hugs and happiness

Like many, I felt it best to just to let 2021 arrive quietly, remain calm, keep our hands to ourselves and try not to break anything. In the past, I have made New Year’s resolutions. I have also not made New Year’s resolutions.

In either instance, the results were about the same. I didn’t have any overnight successes, but baby steps did achieve positive change. Sometimes.

I have lost some weight. I found it again (I blame the pandemic). To say the least, 2020 was a strange year. We cared more about getting a stockpile of toilet paper than we did getting into our work clothes. For many, yoga pants and a cardigan are positively fancy dress at this point, after so much time spent working from home.

Others continued to go off to work every day. The whole “stay home and stay safe” mantra didn’t apply to many people. This led to great stress for many. Schools were open, but closed, but also online. Some sports continued. Some did not. Things were confusing most of the time.

Prayer

It is my fervent hope and prayer that 2021 is full of happiness, health and bountiful blessings for all. Frankly, however, I’m trying not to expect too much. Not in a pessimistic way. Just in a “let’s not be so demanding” manner. Maybe 2020 taught us to be grateful. All of the sudden all that busyness we all thought was too much was just gone.

Overnight, some of us grew to miss the packed schedule, practices, clubs, places to go and people to see. We learned about downsides to working from home (if applicable). We learned to keep those live video cameras covered and mute microphones — or not. Sometimes with hilarious results.

We definitely learned that almost anything is possible, and things go smoother when we’re flexible. Healthier no longer meant thinner, for the first time in forever. I hope we can hold on to that. If we are able to be together again in 2021, I’m going to worry less about the size of my pants and more about the size of my heart — and focus on being present and enjoying my people.

Hope

From 2021, I ask for health, happiness, comfort and security. I am portraying them as just little things but in truth, these are pretty big asks.

In 2021, I hope to continue to have the simple things. Our comfortable home. Our furry and human loved ones. Clean sheets, warm cookies and just enough fresh salad from the amazing produce our neighbors farm right out our window to balance it all out.

I hope to continue to enjoy family (human and fur), friends and many more. We would like to be able to get closer than six feet together, but understand that we will need to baby step that process. We hope to see some milestones happen — graduation, new careers, new apartments. Lots of big changes ahead.

As I am reflecting on 2020 and moving into 2021 I have not resolutions, but reminders:

Clean

Clean slate. Clean house. Clean mind. Some of us had a lot of time to reflect on what worked — and didn’t — in our home and work lives (if we were so blessed). If at all possible, I think this year should be a time to try and fine tune that balance even further.

Count

Counting your blessings is more important than ever. There is so much good around us. Appreciate that.

Save

Save funds. Save energy. Save — and savor — the good times. Just be aware of what the things you do, think and feel cost you. Surround yourself with more joy and less toxins, be it personal or personalities of others.

Goals

I hope to plan more game nights and chats. Make group dinners. Visit loved ones (God willing). Laugh even more than we do now.

Finally, I try to find one word each year to kind of set my focus for the coming time. I feel like 2021 is being asked to do some heavy lifting. Accordingly, 2021 deserves two inspiring words.

My words for 2021 are happiness and hugs. I pray that 2021 offers an abundance of opportunities for both.