The year 2021 has finally arrived after a long wait. As most of us know, 2020 was a very damaging year for the world and crippling to some personally. Although it may not have been the best for us, I would like to look at 2020 and reflect on the personal growth that we all may have experienced during this year which seemed more like 5.
2020 seemed to hold so much potential for us, or so we thought. We were all so excited for the new year, our version of the roaring twenties, little did we know of all that awaited us. But as much as everyone wanted it to be all over, I still think 2020 was rewarding.
Not even four months into the year, we were placed in lockdown, and this was troubling for most. We’ve never been in a pandemic before, at least not in the 20 years I’ve been on earth, and some people can’t handle being alone. I personally wasn’t used to being stuck in the house as much as I was. So every chance I got to get away, I took just to have a moment for myself.
I tried to look at the bright side of things in 2020. All of the days I had spent alone kind of forced me to have some self-reflection, whether I wanted to or not. One thing I learned about myself was I longed for independence. I had fallen in love with being on my own while I was away at school, and even though it wasn’t completely independent, it was preparing me for a life where I could manage my life the way I saw fit.
With this, I realized how much I used to go out and have fun with my friends. If we were simply going to get something to eat or walking the streets of New York, there was always something to find joy in. I started to question why I had befriended who I had and why some of my friendships had failed. The answer to the first question was easy, it was because all of my friends always wanted the best for everyone around them and always wanted to see others flourish. As for the second question, it wasn’t as easy to answer. It wasn’t because my old friends (using the term loosely) didn’t want the best for everyone, it was that we are in different places in our lives currently and I hope that one day we could rekindle some kind of friendship in the future.
Same with my family. As much as they drive me crazy, I love them nonetheless. My birthday was in the summer and my quarantine birthday had been my favorite birthday I had ever celebrated.
Another thing that I’ve come to appreciate more is living near water and by water, I don’t mean the beach, although I do live fairly close to it, I quite despise the place. By water, I mean lakes and if I’m being honest with myself, just being in nature in general. I’ve become a borderline tree hugger and an extra animal lover. Stargazing was an activity I found myself doing quite often in 2020 and waiting for the breeze to pick up so I could feel it on my face.
This was my form of self-care, which was also something I learned in 2020. At the beginning of the year, my self-confidence had seemed to hit the lowest point it’s ever been (that I could remember). It took a second to collect myself again where I felt brave enough to rebuild the image of myself in my head. I rediscovered old passions that I had and new ones to get me excited again. I found what made me happy and what didn’t. This was the spark of me appreciating everything around me.
With the ongoing pandemic, I realized just how much I had to lose. I appreciated everything and everyone so much more. I hold on a little tighter to my friends, have dinner with my grandma and aunt more often, and take deeper breaths when I’m standing in a field. 2020 made me love life a little more.