I decided to make a list of the big and small things that got me through 2020 (and will also be important for most of 2021 as well). So, here it is folks. If you have other things you are thankful for, please share. And don’t ask why 23 and not top 20 or top 10. My brain came up with 23, so I went with it.
- My family. We are all healthy, and one has even gotten the first round of the vaccine.
- Netflix. Virgin River, Tiger King…. I could keep going, trust me.
- A&E. When you watch Hoarders, Intervention, or My 600lb Life, you can only feel better about your life.
- Knitting. I have knitted hats, scarves and nests for rehabbing birds. Two of my hats even made the family holiday card!
- Miss Wanda. I have been chatting with Miss Wanda at our Harris Teeter on a daily basis for about 20 years. This year our friendship took on a new spin when she became my go to person for toilet paper, paper towels and Clorox wipes. One of my favorite frontline workers.
- Audible. Some of my favorite 2020 listens were: The Invisible Thread, The Upside of Being Down, You’re Never Weird on the Internet, Mr. Nobody, Just Mercy, and The Flight Attendant.
- Pandemic puppies. They make me get up every morning and take them for their morning drive. No excuses, even on bad days.
- King Fireball. He rules his kingdom from our steps. You cannot look into his wise eyes and not feel like the world will be ok again.
- Banjo. He has been the teen girl’s emotional support animal in 2020.
- Chapel Hill Training. I figured out early into the pandemic that I needed the accountability of someone making me workout. So 3 times a week I get a Zoom link to sweat it out at home.
- Phone therapy. My running buddy and I stopped our weekly run/walks back in March, but I call her at least once a week to hash out what very mundane things are happening in my life.
- Girl Scouts. I still have a job even though schools and rec centers are not serving girls. Some Councils furloughed Community Outreach staff first.
- A new project. I am going to be working on curriculum development for the Girl Boss program. Click here to learn about this amazing program.
- GAL. I became a Guardian ad Litem this year and spent the last 6mos working with an amazing foster family.
- Back yard chickens. My 4 girls give us tasty eggs on a daily basis.
- Home grown fruits and vegetables. Biggest harvests were from our hydroponic gardens and fig tree.
- The Mountains to the Coast Race. I completed an online race from Asheville to Wrightsville Beach. I loved the accountability of making sure I logged my miles each day.
- The workshop. This space was supposed to be a Man Cave, but in 2020 it served as a second office, a place to sleep when the husband was being exposed to COVID, a training room for puppies, virtual Girl Scout meetings, etc.
- Ear buds. With the teens doing online learning, I had to adjust to working from home with others around. One teen had a super loud and angry Spanish teacher, while the other teen participated in percussion ensemble from home. And don’t get me started on GI telemedicine.
- Amazon.com. That blue van has brought us everything we have needed (and more) since March.
- Naps. I need them. I look forward to them every day. It helps me regroup, recharge, and make it through each day.
- Unfriend and snooze buttons. I found that just not having toxic people in my social media world was super healthy. 2020 brought out the really bad and crazy in people that surprised me from time to time.
- Water therapy. I got to sit by a body of water 3 times in 2020. Once at the Inner Banks, another time at one of my favorite lake spots – Mayo Lake, and last but not least, Top Sail beach.